Our Kind of Family
by CharmingKelsey16
Summary: "I know you’ll find a way to take care of him. Tell him I love him very much and I’ll be back one day. Be good to him, Rebecca."
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Greetings fandom. I've been MIA for a while, but I'm back now. I'm literally days away from finishing high school and things have been pretty hectic. I've had no time at all to write, but now that things are slowing down, I have more free time. Sorry about my unfinished stories. I have no excuse other then I lost interest. Hopefully one day I'll finish, but I can't make promises._

_This story has been in the works for months. Don't worry about me not finishing it. I know exactly how it will end. I have so many different parts written. All I have to do is edit it all together and connect the ideas. There will be fluff, angst, and maybe even a little smut down the road, so I think I'll give everyone something they like! This chapter is just a tester. If I get any interest, I'll continue updating. So PLEASE, if you want to see this continued, drop me a review/alert/message. I love hearing your feedback!_

_It might be a little OOC and Au-ish. The storyline isn't the most unique, but I swear, I'll make it different!_

_Enjoy!_

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The steady clicks of swift fingers moving across a keyboard echoed through the living room. The corner lamp cast a dim light in the apartment. Imaginative thoughts were converted into detailed sentences across the laptop screen as Brennan let the creative juices flow. It was late, almost ten o'clock on Friday night. The doctor had spent a grueling nine hours at the lab. When there weren't a set of remains to identify, there were grad students to teach. When there weren't any experiments to approve, there were endless sheets of paperwork in need of her signature. Her day had ended at a reasonable time in all honesty, but the rest of her night hadn't been relaxing in the slightest. She should be taking advantage of the silence and curl up in bed. At that moment, however, she was nowhere near her bedroom and currently seated in the middle of her partner's home.

Brennan flexed the muscles in her back against the soft couch. She was still extremely grateful she was able to talk to Booth into getting a new one a few months ago. The lumps in the old seat wreaked havoc on his back and this gray, stationary sofa was the perfect solution. Shifting her focus back to Kathy and Andy's latest case, she once again let her muse take control.

Thirty minutes later, she had completed the third page since she began working. A grin tugged at her lips as she increased the angst in her writing. An angry love scene was just around the corner for the fictional couple. Her publisher would be pleased. It baffled her; there was something about writing in Booth's apartment that just got her mind reeling with ideas for her book. Just as she was beginning the fourth page, a door creak from the back of the apartment caught her ear.

The doctor's fingers stilled over the keys as her head turned in the direction of the hallway. She knew a door had oepened when she saw a small stream of light appeared and then disappeared on the wall. Her hands automatically moved to close the laptop lid, knowing that the person heading her way was about to demand her attention.

"Bones?" The voice called.

She smiled at the sight of the five year old boy clad in racecar pajamas, lazily stepping down the hallway towards her. Sleep was still visible in the corner of Parker's eyes. Bed head had taken his dirty blonde locks prisoner. He was so incredibly innocent. Brennan couldn't understand how anyone in their right mind could…

No, now wasn't the time. In the past six months since the decision was made, she had exhausted the issue with herself. Questioning it now wouldn't bring any new answers.

Parker walked forward, ending up in the place between the couch and coffee table, directly in front of her. Brennan sat upright and held her arms out to him. Without words, he crawled into her embrace, setting himself comfortably in her lap. "What's wrong sleepyhead? Bad dream?" She asked quietly.

He nodded and rested his head against her chest. His thumb found solace in his mouth. Booth didn't like that fact that he still sucked his thumb, but after a little research she assured him that it was completely normal for children his age. He only did it when he was tired or upset so there was no reason to force the habit to break. "Want to tell me about it?" She continued.

"Those mummies from the museum yesterday came alive and they were chasing me." He admitted, slightly shuddering against her.

Brennan rubbed her hand up and down his back. She rested her cheek on the top of his head. This wasn't the first nightmare she'd calmed him after. In all honesty, she was happy the dream consisted of something so normal. His usual night terrors were caused by something far more profound. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone to that exhibit." A small inner voice had told her that he might not be old enough to separate Halloween horror stories from the real life Egyptian treasures. She should have listened.

"But they were cool then." He replied, remembeirng how amazed he was at display.

"Well I promise that mummies can't come back to life."

Parker hesitated with fear. "Are you sure?"

"Hey, what happened to the little boy who thought I knew everything?" She questioned in a teasing voice.

He looked up at her with a smile that reached his brown eyes. "I'm right here."

"Then no more bad dreams, okay?" His hair bounced when he shook his head in agreement. "Let's get you back to bed." The boy grunted in protest and fell limp against her, hindering any chance of them moving from the couch. "Parker…" Brennan spoke in a firm tone. Six months ago she thought identifying ancient remains was one of the biggest challenges in the world, but up to that point in her life, she'd never tried to put a five year old to bed.

"Can I stay here with you, Bones?."

Brennan could feel herself want to give in. It was ridiculously hard to tell the boy no. It was a trait he had definitely inherited. "You have school in the morning and no, you can't just sleep on the couch."

"Just til daddy gets home? Pleeeease?" He begged, wrapping his arms tight around her.

"Daddy might not get home for a long time. Remember what he told you?" Brennan certainly remembered what the father had told her. _Don't give in, Bones. No matter how cute he gets._

"Bad guys don't have bedtimes." Parker huffed in disappointment. He really wanted to stay with Bones. Whenever he snuggled next to her she'd always rub his hair until he fell asleep. He'd never have nightmares after that. "Will you tuck me in?"

"Now that I can do." Brennan kissed his forehead and stood up from the couch with Parker still wrapped in her arms. She had gotten increasingly better at that move as time's moved on. A few strides deeper into the apartment and she reached his jungle themed bedroom. She let him gently fall from her arms onto the twin sized mattress. She pulled the comforter that was covered in animals over him.

"Are you gunna be here when I wake up?" His small, venerable voice asked.

Brenna sighed. She hated that Parker's would never understand this part of the arrangement. She had to leave at night. "I don't think so, but I'll see you after school tomorrow, okay?"

Even in a room only lit by a small monkey nightlight, she could see the discontent written all over his little face. "Okay." Parker agreed. "Goodnight Bones, love you."

"Love you too, sleep tight." Brennan gave him one more kiss and tucked him securely under the sheets before silently walking out of the room. She pulled his door towards the frame, leaving a little space between the two. She paused before returning to her work, remembering the event that resulted in her taking on half the responsibility of caring for the junior Booth.

_SIX MONTHS EARLIER_

Brennan thought that she was the last one left in the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal lab. It was well past the time a normal adult of her age would be enjoying the weekend. Temperance, on the other hand sat at her desk, skillfully examining a skull from limbo. She'd already determined that the person was a male in his mid thirties. The fatal injury, a gunshot wound on the parietal, resembled those from World War Two veterans she'd previously seen. If only she could match an identity with the bones, she could give the family closure and rest easily for the night.

A knock sounding from her door frame was the last thing she expected. Her blue eyes glanced upward to find her partner, standing in the entry with his sleeping child clinging to his torso. "Booth." She greeted in a hushed tone, trying not to stir Parker. "What are you doing here?" She wasn't disappointed to see him but Brennan never expected on of Booth's spur of the moment visits on the night he had his little boy. When the father didn't respond, she continued, "When you left you couldn't stop talking about that film you were taking Parker to see." The five year old had been pestering him for weeks to see the new children's comedy about a talking canine. Brennan didn't understand the attraction to such impossibility.

"Yeah, well…plans changed." Booth answered while taking small steps into her office. His tone was a tone lower than normal. Once she focused on his face, clear signs of distress became apparent. "Could I put him down here?" He requested, motioning to the couch.

"Of course." Brennan placed the skull back into its designated container. She could sense something was very wrong with the man in front of her. John Doe 131203's real identity would have to wait another day to be discovered.

Booth laid Parker down on the lounge and draped the cable-knit throw over him. After placing a kiss on his son's hair, he approached Brennan. The father collapsed in the chair across from her. He dropped his head into his hands. With a sigh, he started to massage his temples with his index and middle fingers.

"Booth, what's wrong?" She questioned with concern. He hardly ever passed up time to spend with Parker. There couldn't be a good reason for him to be wasting their quality time at the Jeffersonian.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. She always knew when something was bothering him. Understanding people's emotions wasn't something she excelled at, but with him it was completely the opposite. Although his feelings weren't exactly hidden this particular night, she could still read him like an open book when he was much more closed off. The grin disappeared from his face as he started to speak. "When I picked up Parker from his house, the nanny gave me this." Booth reached into his coat pocket. A white envelope, with _Seeley_ written in neat cursive on the front, appeared in his hand. Without further explanation, he passed it off to her.

Brennan unfolded the top flap and pulled out a letter. He wasn't showing any signs of reluctance, so she began to read.

_Seeley, I'm sorry to do this in a letter, but I have no choice. I know if I see you in person you'll stop me and I've been putting my life on hold long enough. Bret's job has asked him to re-locate and I've decided to go with him. I purposefully didn't disclose where we'll be. I know you'd show up and demand I come back. I can't let that happen. It will be at least a year before I come back, possibly more. I love Parker with all my heart, but I couldn't keep him from you for that long. His life shouldn't be turned upside down, so I'm leaving him with you. Neither of us expected to become parents, but when we did we put our dreams aside to raise Parker right. I've sacrificed the last six years for him, from the time I discovered I was pregnant to now, and I don't regret that decision, but it's time that I do what's best for me. I'm sorry to say goodbye this way. I'm sure you're very angry and confused and again, I'm sorry for that. You're an amazing father. I know you'll take care of him. Tell him I love him very much and I'll be back one day. Be good to him, Rebecca._

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_Love? Hate? More? Go away and never come back? Let me know!_


	2. Chapter 2

_You guys blew me away with all those reviews and alerts! I'm so glad you like it. I hope this chapter is just as good! There's not any present BB action. I wanted the first two chapters to focus on Parker's relationship with each of them. Don't worry though, there will be plenty next chapter ;) Please give me your feedback! Thanks again!_

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His sniper senses stirred when the bed dipped slightly. Booth cracked one eye open just enough to see a mess of bed head fall onto the pillow next to his own. He lifted his head to see the digital clock on the nightstand. Bright red numbers told him that it was almost 7 a.m. The father sighed. Parker was right on time. The five year old had an uncanny ability of robbing him of his last ten minutes of sleep every weekday morning.

Parker rolled over to face him. His own eyes were still closed. Booth, despite the lack of sleep, couldn't be happier to simply lay and watch his child rest. It was just one of the infinite rewards he now received, having Parker full time. Sometimes, he couldn't even remember how it felt before…

No, he couldn't think about that. The morning was too precious to taint with angry and disgusted thoughts of his ex. Booth refocused on Parker. Just Parker. He was the center of his life now. Not that he hadn't been from the day he was born, but their relationship had drastically changed from the time when he was just a weekend dad.

When Parker unconsciously shifted closer to him, Booth let all the intense feelings fall away. It was too early for those so he brought his attention back to the little things like the his suits that were in need of a dry cleaning, like the brand new bag of hazelnut coffee in the kitchen, like the sleepy smile Bones gave him when he finally arrived home last night.

Booth stopped himself before those thoughts progressed. It was definitely too early for that. He had to concentrate on the little things, the easy things. His scheduled time at the firing range today, his clean socks in the drawer. His son who had his thumb nestled between his lips.

The father sighed. He had to get Parker past that stage. The boy would be six in less than two months. Booth didn't care how many statistics Brennan threw at him about normal development. Booth men didn't suck their thumbs.

Forgetting about that battle, he looked back at the clock. 7:04, time for a new day.

"Parker, it's time to get up." His voice was still heavy with sleep. The boy grunted stubbornly and buried his head further into the pillows. "Come on, bub." He put an arm around Parker and used the tone muscles in his abdomen to bring them both into a sitting position.

"I'm sleepy." His son wined, covering his eyes with his hands to block the morning light.

Booth chuckled. "I bet you are. I heard a bad dream kept you up last night." Bones had recounted the story to him before she'd gone home. The two had learned early on that communication between them was essential if they were both going to spend a lengthy amount of time taking care of Parker; they go by the word of a five year old on anything. "Are you okay, buddy?"

Parker nodded. "Bones made it better."

Half an hour later, the Booth men were sitting at the breakfast table, already groomed and dressed for the day. The father read over the sports section of the newspaper while Parker munched happily on a bowl of cocoa puffs. He had begged for the meal and finally won the battle when he argued that Brennan didn't let him eat sugary cereal when she had him in the mornings, so he was long overdue for the morning treat.

"Do you have everything ready for school?" Booth asked while folding the paper. His hockey team had won their game last night so the day was starting off on a good foot.

"Yup." Parker answered before finishing his breakfast by drinking the last bit of chocolate milk from the bottom of his bowl. When he set it down, a light brown mustache coated the top of his lip. "Can you carry my project to my class?"

Booth smirked and looked at the large poster board and diorama sitting by the door. He had asked Hodgins to help Parker do something simple, maybe the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano, but in return, he found himself the proud guardian of a miniature, portable ecosystem. He'd been helping his son tend to it for weeks. Truthfully, he would have carried the thing across the Sahara just to be rid of it. "Of course I can." He replied and then leaned over to wipe away Parker's milk mustache with a napkin. "Let's get moving."

Parker hopped off his chair and swung his Spiderman backpack over his shoulders. Before either of them took another step, he halted everything, "Daddy, wait!"

"What's wrong?"

"Am I going with Bones after school?" He questioned.

"Yeah, bub, why?" Parker didn't answer. He just scurried back into his room. "Parker, you're going to be late. What are you doing?"

The boy ran back out holding a plastic card. "I forgot my badge." He informed his father in an obvious tone.

Booth laughed. A few weeks ago, Brennan had managed to get him a Jeffersonian I.D. badge. It wasn't real of course but looked the part. Angela had fashioned it on her super computer, going as far as to put Parker's picture on it. "Good thing you remembered. You would have had to stand outside all day." The father joked before grabbing his son's project and nudging him out of the door.

_SIX MONTHS EARLIER_

Brennan's eyes widened as they passed over each line. Was this some kind of joke Booth would have to explain to her later? Her mouth parted as it dawned on her. Rebecca had abandoned Parker. She'd taken off on him without any warning. The sweetest, funniest, smartest little boy she'd ever met had just lost his mother. "She really left?" Her question came out in a whisper fearing that Parker would wake up and overhear.

Booth nodded despondently. "I must have read that letter 50 times before I could even get the feeling back in my legs. I tried to call her but it went straight to voicemail. Her stuff is gone. All of Parker's things were waiting in suitcases and boxes." He explained, still in shock.

"Did Parker say anything?"

"No, he fell asleep in the car on the way over. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even tell him she was leaving, probably left that for me to do." His voice started to grumble with anger. He was silent for a moment as the rage began to bubble. "I cannot believe she did this!" Booth talked into his hands. He lifted his head to meet his partner's sympathetic eyes. "What the hell was she thinking, taking off like that? What if something had happened to me at work? He would have been left all alone! He might as well be alone now if I'm all he has."

Brennan did her best to hide her shock when the word left his lips. "Why would you say that?" She knew better than anyone that it was never better to be alone.

"I can't raise him by myself, Bones. I work _all the time_. I can't afford a nanny to be around at all hours of the night when I'm off working a case. My apartment is hardly good enough for having him over for weekend visits, let alone living there permanently." The rambling spewed from his mouth.

"Booth, calm down." Brennan tried to stop him from cutting himself down.

"Calm down? Bones, my son's mother just abandoned him!" He hissed as loud as possible.

"I know. I'm sorry for you both but it could be worse." She spoke from experience.

Booth sighed and settled back into the chair. He didn't need to ask how it could be worse. She'd lost both her parents and brother in one quick swoop. At least Parker had someone, even if it was only him. "I can't do this." Vulnerability radiated through his voice. Suddenly, he felt like he reverted to himself six years ago when he first found out he was going to be a father.

"Yes, you can." She assured with overwhelming confidence.

"How do you know?" Booth questioned, despite him knowing that asking Bones why she knew anything was a waste of time unless he wanted the 'I had a doctorate and several degrees' speech.

"It's an anthropological drive to take care of our young." The look on his face told her that he didn't appreciate her explanation. "Besides that, you have to, Booth. Taking care of him is your only option. You can't fail at that." He wouldn't let himself. She wouldn't let him.

He was silent for a moment, but the look in his brown eyes told her that his brain was working full speed. "There's so much I have to do. I have to fix up my place; the plumbing's been a nightmare lately. I'm going to have to put some stuff in storage to make room for all of his. I have to talk to Cullen about hours." He groaned at the thought. "And then find some way to explain all of this to him."

"You'll figure it out." She told him, trying to console the situation to the best of her ability. "I'll help you, Booth, with anything I can."

"Bones, I'm not rolling in the dough like you are but I have enough to take care of my son."

Her face contorted with confusion; it was a look he'd grown to adore. "I don't know what that means."

Booth chuckled. It wasn't normal how much he loved those words. "Dough means money, Bones."

"Oh." She said, thankful that he never seemed too busy or too amused by her lack of knowledge to explain a pop culture reference or common expression. "I didn't mean money specifically, although if you needed it, I would offer. I meant if you ever needed someone to look after him." She didn't know where this eagerness to help Booth originated, but she could feel that it was strong and useless to fight.

His eyebrows arched. "You're offering to take care of him? I thought you didn't like kids?"

Her lips pursed. Brennan hated it when she was misinterpreted. "I never said I didn't like kids. I like them just fine, especially Parker. I'm just not the best with them." She admitted and suddenly realized she was giving him enough reason to not allow her to take care of the boy. "Actually, I'm probably not the best person to leave him with."

"Oh come on, Bones. You're great with kids." He retorted, thinking back to how she'd consoled several children during cases. "I'd be completely comfortable leaving Parker with you if the offer still stands." Booth knew Parker loved Bones. The three of them had spent some time together previously, a few tours of the Jeffersonian and lunches at the diner; the little boy was just enamored by her job and intellect. The father remembered a comment his son made in regard to the genius. _"I know why she's your best friend, Daddy."_

"Anytime." She replied.

Booth gave her his most charming smile. Something he'd lately been reserving for Bones only. He didn't know when the exact moment in their partnership it happened, but Temperance Brennan had taken hold of a very large portion of his heart. "Thank you." He paused before leaning back in the chair. "I guess I should just be thankful she didn't want to take him with her."

She gave him a small nod. "That's true. I believe that way of thinking is commonly referred to as looking at the glass half full." Booth chuckled. She finally got one right.

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_Like? Love? Hate? Couldn't care less? Let me know!_

_P.S. The next update will be early next week. I have prom this weekend and there's still a million things I have to do. Wish me luck when I bust out those Brennan style dance moves!_


	3. Chapter 3

_You guys are amazing! Thanks for all the reviews/alerts/favorites. Sorry, this update took a while. I had a busy weekend and I got fake nails which make typing a challenge. This chapter gives you an idea of how the arrangement between Booth and Brennan works. I'll start with the drama next chapter. Enjoy!_

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"Bones! Look at me!" Parker shouted, running into her office. Brennan's head snapped upward, forgetting about the test results in front of her. In a split second, the boy was at her side, with a beaming smile. When Brennan turned her chair to get a better view of him, she caught sight of his face covered in streaks of blue and red paint. "Ain't it cool?" He asked, obviously ecstatic about his appearance.

"Isn't it cool not ain't it cool." Brennan corrected as she squinted and put two fingers under his chin, looking carefully at the colors. "Is that permanent?"

"Yup! I'm gunna look like this forever!"

Before Brennan could muster a reply, the growing sound of high heeled boots directed her attention from the five year old and to her best friend who rushed through the doorway. "He's kidding." Angela told her, catching her breath. She knew the child would do something sneaky.

Parker started to giggle. "Gotcha Bones!" He laughed. Brennan smiled. He had become very fond of practical jokes in the last couple weeks. "You should have seen your face!"

"What did I say little man? No jokes that get me in trouble." The artist approached them and rubbed her hand over Parker's hair, ruffling up the curls. "It'll come off after a bath."

The child's nose scrunched up with disappointment. "It's okay, Ange." Brennan told her. "It's not me you'd have to answer to."

Angela rolled her brown eyes. "Sure, sweetie." The woman had no idea why her best friend couldn't just talk about how she'd become so involved in Parker's life. She knew that Booth purposely avoided the subject around everyone. The slightest mention of Rebecca made him blow his top. She knew it was too sensitive of a topic of Parker to discuss. The one time she'd been present for one of his breakdowns, her heart practically broke into a million pieces. She just didn't know why Brennan put on this mask of denial when it came to her new role. She still appeared to think of herself as some kind of long term babysitter. Angela knew better. Brennan was so much more than that. "Anyway, I just wanted to return Junior. I have to start that reconstruction. Did you finish going over those tests or should I drop him with Hodgins?"

"I'm almost done. He can stay with me. Thanks, Ange."

"My pleasure." Her friend told her. "Thanks for being my canvas, handsome." Angela held out her fist to Parker who in turn bumped his knuckles against hers.

A silent moment passed. "Hey, what do you say?" Brennan maternally reprimanded when she didn't hear any words of gratitude from Parker.

"Thanks for painting my face, Angie." He said to her with his inherited charm smile playing his lips.

Angela just smiled and nodded her head. Her best friend ladies and gentlemen: the most oblivious genius you'll ever meet.

Parker climbed onto Brenna's lap. "Whatcha doin'?" He looked down at the papers in front of them trying to recognize something. Bones let him help her sometimes when they looked at pictures of skeletons. She only let him look at the clean ones from limbo. He had gotten good at naming the parts. Parker didn't see any pictures like that this time though. There were just numbers and funny combinations of letters.

"I'm analyzing test results. It's not very fun, but I'll be done in a few minutes." She reached for the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a coloring book. "Why don't you work on another one of your masterpieces until then?" Parker grinned and pulled open the top drawer where he kept his crayons.

Across the lab, Angela was stepping onto the forensic platform to gather information for her facial reconstruction. Hodgins gave her the files she needed, but before he let go of his grip on them, he motioned towards Brennan's office. "Look at that."

Angela turned to see Parker seated on her friend's lap, contently coloring, while she filled out the evidence forms. They weren't talking, just sitting, completely comforted by one another. "She loves that boy so much."

Hodgins, who was still full of pride from Parker telling him he got an A and a gold star sticker for his project, agreed. "Booth's lucky."

Booth pulled at the knot of his tie, loosening the material from around his neck. It was barely 5:30 in the evening and he was already wiped. The worst part was that his work day wasn't even done. He took his time walking through the lab, stopping to greet all of his squints before making his way to Brennan's office.

The weight of his job floated away the instant he saw his son sitting quietly in his partner's lap with her arm securely around his waist. He leaned on one elbow to keep himself upright against the desk. His other hand was clutching a green crayon, scribbling fiercely back and forth across a piece of paper. Booth stepped with sniper trained silence towards the doorway to Brennan's office. He leaned against the entry way and stared. He noticed the beginnings of a smile form on her lips.

She knew he was there; she could feel his presence from distances far longer than the space between the door and desk. Booth smirked. He knew she felt him there, but she didn't speak a word to deter his adoring eyes. Their unspoken agreement wasn't broken until Parker's brown orbs floated upward and spotted his father. "Daddy!" He greeted happily, staying put in Bones' lap.

In earlier months, he'd spring into Booth's arms the second he arrived.

"Hey buddy." The father moved farther into the office, settling in the black chair across from them. His brows dipped together. "What's all over your face?"

"It's not permanent." Brennan immediately answered before Parker could try to pull the same joke over on his dad as he did her.

"Angie did it. Isn't it cool?" Parker asked, remembering the grammar lesson earlier. He smiled when he felt Bones' grip on him tighten.

"Very cool, bub." Before he could ask about his son's day, he let out a strangled yawn.

"Long day?" Brennan inquired, though she already knew the answer from the way he had loosened his tie.

"And it's still going. I had to come by to get the identify from Angela. I still have to go interview a few people and get a profiler on our M-U-R-D-E-R-E-R." Booth smirked, when he saw the wheels turning in Parker's head. He knew his son would try to figure out the word, but 8 letter words were too much for the five year old.

"You know soon we're not going to be able to do that. Parker's vocabulary skills are getting better every day." Brennan told him, knowing firsthand how smart he was. The nights that she was in charge of reading him a bedtime story, she always insisted that he'd help her with half the words on the pages. They all came easily to him.

"I read a whole book by myself last night, daddy." He bragged.

"You're turning my son into a squint." Booth playfully glared at Brennan.

"He likes to read, don't you?" Brennan looked to the boy for reassurance. He nodded his little head. "See?"

"Alright, no teaming up on me." Reluctantly, he stood from his chair, eliciting two frowns from the two people in front of him. "I have to get back to the Hoover before Cullen has my a-" Booth stopped when Brennan raised an eyebrow at him, halting upcoming profanity. "Job." He quickly corrected. There had been a few slip ups and Parker repeated the words almost immediately. It took days to explain 'adult words' to him.

Brennan leaned towards Parker's ear. "Does my favorite assistant want to help me out with something?" He gave her an eager nod and dropped his crayon, ready to do something very important. She handed him a sheet of paper. To him, it looked like very important, grown up business. "Can you bring this to Dr. Jack?" To Hodgins, it'd look like old tests he'd already looked over ten times and had two copies of.

Parker took the paper, bounced off her lap, and ran toward the entomologist's work area. Booth laughed. "Works every time."

The ruse always gave the adults a few minutes to talk without little ears present. "Do you want me to take him tonight?"

"If you could, yeah. If I'm off before nine I'll swing by and bring him home with me, but if not just call me before he goes to sleep so I can tell him goodnight." In the beginning of this little arrangement, Booth constantly felt guilty when he needed Bones' help. She'd offer. He'd hesitate. She'd launch into a fifteen minute speech about how his pride wasn't important when it came to whatever was easiest for Parker. Accepting her assistance saved them both a headache.

"I couldn't get him to sleep otherwise." Brennan joked. The child had grown accustom to his father's goodnight phone calls when he worked late.

"I'll come over tomorrow morning. I might even make you some of that disgusting oatmeal you love so much before we take him to school." The FBI agent teased.

"Parker likes it." She threw back.

Booth pointed his finger at him. "You keep that fake food away from my son." He mocked an intimidating tone.

"It's good for him!"

Booth smiled when he hear the tone of her voice peak, which it normally did during one of their bicker sessions. "He's a growing boy. He needs the good stuff."

"Like that cereal that's nothing but marsh mellows you let him have in the morning?"

"Hey, _I _like that cereal."

"And_ I_ like my oatmeal."

They stared at each other, both too stubborn and too entertained to concede to the other. Luckily, Parker bounded into the office, breaking the stalemate. "Hey buddy, what do you like more? Oatmeal or sugar cereal?" His father asked, receiving an eye roll from his anthropologist.

Parker thought deeply about the question. He tapped his finger on his chin before answering, "Pancakes."

Brennan laughed, remembering the first morning she'd ever experienced with him.

_SIX MONTHS EARLIER_

_Brennan felt Parker stirring beside her. She had brought him to her bed so he could continue to sleep after his father had dropped him off. For a moment she considered putting him in the guest room, but she concluded that waking up in a strange place would probably upset him. Parker stretched out his child sized limbs. Sleep was still visible in the corner of his eyes. Bed head had also taken his locks prisoner. He was so incredibly innocent; Brennan couldn't understand how anyone in their right mind would leave him._

_Rebecca had turned down Booth's marriage proposal. A wonderful, kind, protective, handsome man wasn't good enough for her. She had taken off on possibly the sweetest little boy on the planet. Brennan wasn't one to jump to conclusions without a surplus of evidence. She didn't judge unless she had experience to base an opinion on, but in that moment, as Parker realized she was there and gave her a good morning smile, she concluded that Rebecca was the stupidest woman in the world._

"_Hi, Dr. Bones." He greeted with his father's charm smile playing his lips. Who would have thought such a trait was inheritable?_

_Brennan returned the grin. "Good morning, Parker."_

"_Did I sleepwalk here?" He questioned, surprised by where he'd woken up._

"_No." A laugh escaped her mouth, as she placed a bookmark in her novel and set it on the table. She couldn't have gone back to sleep if she tried, so catching up on her reading became the next best thing to do while she waited for him to awake. "Your dad brought you over early this morning."_

"_Where is he?" The boy asked, sitting up and moving to her lap. He rested his head on her shoulder and let out a small yawn._

_Before the words 'he went to move your stuff into his apartment' popped out, she decided that this was one of those times when it was better to keep the truth hidden. "He had to work."_

_Parker made a disapproving noise. "But he said we were gunna spend the day together, just us."_

"_I know he did but something really important came up and he had to go help."_

"_Help catch a bad guy?" He verbalized in five year old lingo._

"_Yes." Brennan would have normally protested all this lying, but she wasn't going to be responsible for telling Parker anything about the current situation without Booth present._

"_Don't you help him catch bad guys?"_

"_Most of the time, but not always, like today." Before he could continue spouting off questions, she posed one of her own. "Would you like some breakfast?"_

_He raised his head and nodded. "Can I watch cartoons while you make it?"_

"_Actually, I don't have a TV."_

_His eyes practically bugged out of his head. "No TV? How do you watch cartoons?"_

_Brennan laughed. "I don't really watch cartoons."_

"_Not even SpongeBob?" He didn't believe her. Everyone liked SpongeBob._

_She didn't know what that meant, but chose to play along. "Why don't you tell me all about SpongeBob while I make us some pancakes?"_

"_Can I help mix it?" His eyes lit up. Brennan knew his mind had just registered the situation as a chance to get dirty. Booth's voice echoed in her mind. "Five year olds make a lot of messes, Bones."_

"_Okay, but you have to be really careful." She didn't want to go through one outfit before the day even started._

_Parker nodded and bounced off the bed. He waited for Brennan to scoot herself off the mattress before walking further into her apartment. Once she was at his side, he began spouting off, "SpongeBob is a yellow, square guy…"_

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_Great? Horrible? Get away from forever? Let me know!_


	4. Chapter 4

_As always, you guys rock! I can't believe you all love this story so much. I hope this chapter doesn't dissapoint. I have so many ideas for this fic that it's hard to decide what to use in each chapter! This update is extra sad and fluffy, just so you know._

_Side note: THAT FINALE! OMG! I DIED! Booth in the army uniform, I seriously almost passed out. Brennan broke my heart so much. The entire episode just made me ridiculously sad. I can't believe we have to wait all summer for season 6, but I can't wait!_

_Anyway, Enjoy!_

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Outside of Marshall Elementary, Brennan leaned against the driver side door of her expensive car. Breathing in the cool spring air calmed her. She loved the time of day when she could take a break from the lab and collect Parker from school. In the beginning, she worried that the almost daily interruption to her work schedule would be detrimental to her career. To her surprise, she realized that the forty five minutes of relaxation did her mind well. Her mood was always elevated when Parker was with her. The correlation became apparent: better mood, better work.

A few minutes after she had arrived, a sea of children flooded through the doors. For a second, all Brennan saw was a blur of colorful clothes and cartoon book bags. The crowd evened out when some of them darted into awaiting buses and cars. Her eyes scanned for Parker. His kindergarten class was normally one of the first ones let out. He'd run to her side and start babbling about his day seconds after he exited the school.

She eventually spotted him, slowly making his way towards their normal meeting place. His head hung low, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. His arms were wrapped tightly around his torso. The doctor stiffened and moved away from the car. Something was wrong.

When he finally reached Brennan, Parker made no moves to even greet her. The boy attempted to get directly in the car, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Hey, I don't even get a hello?"

Without looking at her, he apologized in a small voice. "Sorry."

Brennan bent down so she'd be level with him. Her hands ran lightly up and down his arms. "What's wrong, buddy?"

"Nothin'." He automatically replied, still refusing to make eye contact.

Although she wasn't an expert when it came to other people's emotions, she could recognize a lie from Parker Booth's mouth in a second. She hooked one finger under his chin and tiled his head upward, forcing their eyes to meet. When brown met blue, Brennan let out a barely audible gasp. Remnants of tears streaks were visible down his cheeks, still chubby with baby fat. An angry red scratch about an inch long ran parallel with his hairline across his forehead. "Parker, what happened?" She questioned in a more stern voice than she had used before.

"Nothin'!" He yelled his lie, pulling away from her. Brennan was taken aback by his outburst. He took a few breaths, glanced at the car, and then brought his eyes back to her. "Can we go home?"

"You don't want to go to the lab?" She asked incredulously. He_ always_ wanted to go to work with her. He answered with a shake of his head. "Okay, let's go."

Brennan stood back up and opened the car door for him. Parker climbed into his child seat in the back. She reached to buckle him while having a silent debate with herself on which 'home' he was referring to, her residence or Booth's. In the past, Parker had called both places by the title. The two adults had a good system for taking care of him; it was almost perfect. Almost. Not knowing where he wanted to go was just one example of the problems that still existed after months of mastering the routine.

After sending a quick text message to Cam, excusing herself from the lab for the day, she decided that the sooner she got him home the better. Her apartment was the closest, so it was there they went.

The second the door to Brennan's apartment opened, Parker ran towards the guest room. He considered it his second bedroom. His toys littered the floor. His clothes were folded in the dresser. Everyone considered it his.

Brennan was still worried about what had happened and almost followed him. She wouldn't have been demanding an answer if he didn't have that scratch on his face. She had learned that he needed time before talking about his emotions. Like his father, he was very stubborn. But when his physical well-being came into question, a paralyzing sense of protectiveness crashed over her. She needed to know what had hurt him.

The anthropologist decided to give him about half an hour to come out before she went in. She started to busy herself with mindless tasks to kill time. She checked the mail, watered her plants, and then cleaned the coffee pot. Only 7 minutes passed. All her thoughts focused on the hurt child in the next room. She couldn't understand how parents could function in their daily lives. In some way, Parker was always on her mind and the boy wasn't even hers.

Giving up on the time constraint, she walked towards the back of the apartment. The door wasn't closed all the way. She still knocked lightly before pushing it open. Like she expected, Parker wasn't sitting out in the open. She looked to the fort made from a couple blankets stretched between the bookshelf, end table, and bed frame. Angela had helped him construct it weeks ago and he refused to take it down. Unbeknownst to Parker, it had fallen on its own several times but Brennan had fixed it every time.

"Parker." Brennan called. There was no response. No surprise there. She knelt down on her knees so she could see under the structure.

The five year old lay with his head one of the dozen pillows strewn under the structure. He was on his back, playing with one of his action figures. His expression made it clear that he wasn't actually interested in the toy and simply keeping his hands busy. It was a habit they had in common.

"Can I come in?" She asked. He nodded. Like before, he still refused to look at her. The world renowned scientist got on all fours and crawled under the blankets. Oh, if her co-workers could see her now. She was careful not to hit one of the supports and send everything crashing down onto them. When she reached the child, she stretched to lie next to him. The roof of the fort wasn't high enough for her to sit without having to severely slouch. She used the support from her elbow to prop her head.

Parker's hands stopped moving but he held onto the toy. Brennan took that as her cue. Gently, she pulled the plaything away from him and took one of his small hands in her free one. "Talk to me, buddy."

"Today when we went to the art room, Ms. Brooks told us we're gunnna make cards." He quietly spoke.

Brennan's eyebrows furrowed. "Cards?"

"For Mother's Day." His voice hitched when he told her.

Her heart felt like it clenched; she knew it couldn't literally do that. As more time passed, mentions of Rebecca became rare. In Booth's opinion, Parker had mostly returned to his normal self. But there were times, when they would see a mother and son in the park or a family moment in a movie, and he'd get a look on his face that made it obvious that he still missed her. The way Booth acted made it seem like he wished Parker would forget her. Brennan had told him that he could never do that. Not a day passed since she was fifteen that she didn't think of the mother that had abandoned her. "Come here." She insisted.

His defenses fell and he scooted so his back was against her chest. Brennan dropped his hand and wrapped her arm around his waist. She dropped a couple of kisses on his temple before asking him to continue.

"I asked if I could make somethin' else instead and then Katie asked me why and I told her I just didn't wanna do it. Trevor was sittin' at our table. He said I was lyin' and I didn't want to make one cuz I didn't have a mommy anymore." He paused before continuing. "I started to cry. Ms. Brooks got another teacher to walk me back to my class and Ms. Daniels let me sit in there with her til art was over. She gave me some left over cookies from snack time. The other kids came back and we learned more about numbers. Before it was time to go home, we went outside to play. Trevor came up and started callin' me a cry baby." Brennan felt his body tremble. He was trying to hold back tears. "He said my mommy didn't want me anymore because I cried too much."

Brennan held him tighter. She remembered how cruel kids could be growing up. She felt a surge of fury fly threw her. She finally understood why her father got so angry when she told him about being teased in school. "What happened to your head?"

"Trevor threw a rock at me when I was hiding under the slide."

This Trevor kid was done for. His mother was definitely getting a phone call or a visit from a pissed off FBI agent.

"Parker, everything that boy said was a lie. Do you remember what daddy told you when you came to live him?"

"He said mommy couldn't be a good mommy right now so she went away and left me with him." He recalled.

"Exactly. The only reason your mommy left was because she was feeling confused and upset with herself. Her decision didn't have anything to do with how you behaved."

"But why was she confused?"

She sighed. "I'm not sure, Parker, but I do know that she loves you very much. That's why she left you with daddy because she knew she couldn't be the best mommy she could be right now and you always deserve the best."

"Daddy's the best."

"That's right."

They were both silent for a minute. Brennan felt Parker's breath's even out as the moments passed. He broke it when he added, "You're the best too, Bones."

_SIX MONTHS EARLIER_

_After a full day with Brennan, Parker still had an incredible amount of energy. He had slept in the car on the way from the Jeffersonian, the place he insisted on going, to the zoo, where Brennan suggested they go after an unsuccessful explanation of what cavemen were really like. A few minutes at 6 pm, the child ran through the doorway of Brennan's apartment. He immediately jumped into the arms of his awaiting father. Brennan looked at the two while she locked the door. Booth had called and informed her that he'd be waiting for them. She could see the fear in Booth's eyes. He was about to break his son's heart._

_"Daddy, I had the funnest day ever with Bones!" Parker enthusiastically told him. "We went to the park and the Jeff'sonian and then the zoo! She even let me have a milkshake when we had lunch!"_

_Booth smiled at his little boy. "That's great, bub. Did you tell her thank you?"_

_"Several times actually." Brennan answered, discarding her jacket and purse. "He told me you make him always use his manners. He's very polite."_

_"I try." Booth shrugged._

_"Are we gunna go back to your partment?" Parker asked. "I got some cool glow in the dark stickers from the zoo and I wanna put 'em in my room."_

_The father ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, we'll go home soon, pal. I just have something I have to talk to you about first."_

_Brennan felt awkward knowing what was about to happen. She predicted that the feeling would only intensify when Booth started to explain the situation to Parker. "If you two would excuse me, I'm going to go to my room."_

_Booth looked at her and gave a small nod. He knew she felt like she didn't need to be here. It may have been a little selfish to do this here, but he was comforted knowing that she was nearby. Plus, he didn't want Parker to walk into his home and see all of his belongings. He had to do this slowly._

_She walked towards them and stood behind Parker. Her hands landed on his shoulders. The boy looked up at her. "Thanks for spending the day with me." She kissed his forehead._

_"You're welcome. Can we do it again one day?" He questioned, still looking at her upside down._

_Brennan forced a smile. "I'm sure we will." She locked eyes with Booth. His sad, brown orbs gave her a very uncomfortable feeling in her chest. Without another word, she left them and made her way to the master bedroom. Instead of changing clothes or doing anything to start her nightly routine, she stood on the inside of the doorway, out of sight. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she'd been curious all day as to how Booth would explain this._

_It started with him asking Parker if he liked spending time with him. Booth asked him if he'd want to spend more time with him. Both questions went over smoothly, until the father asked son how he felt about living with him. The five year old immediately asked what his mother would think._

_Brennan flinched._

_Booth told him that it was what Rebecca wanted. He told him that she didn't feel that she could be a good mother so she went away for a while to figure things out. Parker was quiet for a several moments, until asking "How long will she be gone, daddy?"_

_"I don't know, bub."_

_Brennan heard Parker start to cry. Booth lost all sense of logic and started repeating an endless stream of reassuring words. He told him that as long as he had a choice he'd never leave him. He told him that she'd come back one day. He told him that he was strong and brave._

_The conversation ended when Brennan heard the sound of quick footsteps coming in her direction. They were light, so they had to belong of the junior Booth. She froze, panicking that he was coming to find her. Instead, the footsteps stopped short of her room. There was a quick pause before a loud slam of the guest bedroom door echoed through the apartment. It was the last sound Parker made all night._

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_Too much fluff? I can never tell when it comes to Parker. Tell me what you think!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Do I have to say it again? You guys are rockstars. Seriously. I'm sending you all ties to wer around your heads. Thanks so much for the reviews and alerts! I'm glad you all have no limit on Parker fluff :) I'll take it into account._

_This is the longest chapter so far. Enjoy!_

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"Simon says, spin in a circle!" Russ Brennan called out. Three little bodies began started to turn in place. "Simon says, stand still!" They slowed to a wobbly stop. Laughing, he shouted, "Simon says put one foot in the air!" He laughed as they put their hands out at their sides to steady themselves. "Ok, now put it back down."

The six year old fell for the trick. "Hayley, you're out honey." Russ told her.

She gasped when she realized what she did. "That's not fair! You fooled me."

"He's supposed to do that. You're not supposed to fall for it. You're out." Emma told her younger sister, while she focused on not falling over.

"Fine!" She stomped over to the porch and plopped down on the step. Her arms crossed over her chest. She practically stared daggers at Emma. Lately, the two had been contending at everything and stayed at each other's throats, so say Russ.

Booth and Brennan smiled at her dramatics. For the past hour, the two of them had sat on the swing on the back porch of Russ and Amy's house, watching Brennan's brother entertain his step-daughters and Parker.

Yesterday evening, Booth had voiced to Brennan about how he wished he could take his son away from the city this weekend so he wouldn't have any reminders of Mother's day. To his surprise, she arranged a spontaneous visit to her brother's home in Moorehead City.

She informed him that Russ was watching the girls while Amy visited her elderly mother for the holiday. It was unfortunate that Hayley and Emma would miss out on being with their mom that Sunday, but Brennan saw it as an opportunity for Parker to spend time with two children his age who were smart enough not to ask family based questions. The last time Russ visited, he and Brennan facilitated a meeting between the three children. They all got along very well. By the end of the day, the two sisters were arguing over which one of them would get to marry Parker when they grew up. His father got a kick out of that. She remembered him whispering to Parker something like, "Brennan girls can't resist Booth men."

She didn't comment on the remark.

"I never understood the point of this game. It's all about establishing who is better at following directions and children usually enjoy themselves more when they break rules." Brennan whispered to Booth to make sure her niece wouldn't hear.

"Kids don't realize that the point is about following rules, Bones. They just see it as a game they want to win." He quietly spoke back.

"While I understand the importance of instilling a drive to compete in children, I think their energy could be better served playing a game where the hardest thing to do isn't balance on one foot. They should be learning something."

Booth just grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "They are learning, Bones. They're learning that they love playing with each other."

Brennan returned his smile. Her head slowly fell onto his shoulder. Booth hid his smirk when he felt the sensation. He knew if he asked she would blame her clinginess on being tired from the drive. He knew better. They watched silently for a few more minutes until Parker accidently followed one of Russ's commands he wasn't supposed to. "I won! I won!" Emma chanted, doing a victory dance.

"Don't rub it in. Just be happy." Russ lectured "You did good, big guy." He told Parker and gave him a high five.

"Thanks Russ. Can we play again after dinner?" The boy requested.

"We'll see."

Russ and the two kids walked from the yard onto the porch. Hayley had finally stopped pouting. She immediately asked Parker to come play Candyland with her. He agreed and she took off into the house to set it up. Her sister followed, intent on not letting Hayley spend any time alone with her boyfriend.

Parker jumped onto the porch swing, wiggling himself in between his father and Brennan. "Didn't I do good?"

"You did great, bub." Booth congratulated, before leaning closer to him to whisper, "But I saw what you did."

Brennan saw the mischievous look on the faces of both father and son. Her curiosity instantly peaked. "What did he do?"

"He let Emma win." Booth told her in a hushed voice.

Brennan's jaw slightly dropped. "Parker Booth, how many times have I told you that you don't have to let girls win anything?" She dug her fingers into his sides eliciting several hearty laughs from him.

"I…don't…know!" He barely got the words out in between fits of giggles.

"You don't know?" She probed without relinquishing her hold on him. Her eyes caught Booth's. The brown irises shined with his happiness as he watched the two of them interact.

"I'm sorry, Bones! But Hayley…she looked so sad…all by herself." Once he spoke, Brennan stopped.

She gazed down at him, amazed that such selflessness existed in such a young child. "That's why you let Emma win?"

"Uh-huh, why else would I?" He inquired, looking up at her.

"Because you're just a big flirt like your old man." Booth proudly spoke for him.

"Daddy! Yuck!" Parker made a face in disgust. "I don't like them. They like me."

"That'll happen a lot, pal."

"Booth!" Brennan scolded. He gave her that 'What do you want from me; I'm only speaking the truth' look. She shook her head. "Parker, go find Hayley." She insisted.

"Yeah, you never keep the ladies waiting."

Parker just laughed and bolted through the open, sliding glass door that led to the dining room.

"Booth, if you keep making jokes like that he's not going to grow up with a proper opinion of women." Brennan sincerely voiced her concerns.

"A few jokes won't do any long term damage. He's only five. He knows he's supposed to respect everyone, women included." She didn't look convinced. "Come on, Bones, you know he's a good boy. He's not going to grow up thinking that the ladies should fall at his feet."

Brennan couldn't deny that. Everyone who had spent any reasonable time around Parker couldn't help but tell her how sweet-tempered he was. The squints at the lab, his teacher, and even random people in the public he'd hold doors open for just gushed over him. "Fine, but in ten years when he's a hormonal teenager with a loyal following of girls, you're going to deal with it, not me."

Booth gaped at her. There was no way she'd just realized what she said. 10 years? She planned on still being a part of Parker's life for _10_ years? That was the first she'd ever mentioned about making their arrangement permanent. Sure, in a few heart to heart conversations Brennan had told him that she'd help him out as long as he needed, but never had she put a definite time interval on it. Plus, 10 years was a damn long time.

"What?" She finally asked noticing his strange expression.

The corner of his lips turned upwards. "Nothing, Bones." Before she could rebut his statement, he stood up from the swing. "Let's go help Russ tame the wild ones." He grabbed her hands and pulled her up. She laughed and followed him inside without letting go.

Russ watched as his sister came inside with her FBI partner. Both of their hands were clasped, making it awkward to walk, so she practically stumbled in behind him. He undetectably shook his head. He hadn't seen that look on her face in decades, not since she found out some boy she had a crush on was her Secret Santa. Russ knew this was far more serious though, whatever 'this' was. He didn't know. He didn't think they knew, but it was definitely there.

Russ looked over at Parker who had just given the blue playing piece to Hayley, even though he called it a few seconds ago. He wished for the boy's sake that what was going on between Tempe and Booth would last. He couldn't believe how hesitant he was so support her decision of stepping in to help Booth raise him.

_FIVE MONTHS EARLIER_

_Russ knocked on the door of his sister's expensive apartment. Sometimes, he'd bet that it had cost more than he and Amy's entire house. Although some people might think a small part of him was jealous out of instinctual sibling rivalry, he couldn't be more proud of Tempe. She had done what very few in the world could. She deserved every dollar and bit of recognition she received. When there was no response, he looked down at the watch on his wrist. The girls had given it to him for his birthday. He wasn't early for their scheduled lunch and his sister wasn't one of those women to take hours to primp for anything. He knocked again. "Marco!" He called._

_"Polo!" The muffled reply came from behind the door. He took it as his cue and used the emergency key he had to enter her home._

_Once the door shut behind him, he locked it and yelled, "Tempe, you here?"_

_"I'll be right out, Russ. Help yourself to something to drink." Her voice sounded from the back of the apartment._

_He figured that she had just left work and needed time to wash away the smell of decomposed corpses and sterile lab equipment. He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and walked leisurely around the living room while sipping it. Five minutes later, he finally heard footsteps._

_His dark eyes widened as he watched his sister approach him with a little boy perched on her hip. On top of his head was a green children's towel with an attached hood that was made to resemble a frog. The curly hair that peaked out from underneath it was damp. He was only wearing a pair of boy's pajama pants decked out with police cars and fire trucks. Tempe's hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She was dressed casually in jeans and a fitted, dark purple tee shirt._

_The boy had his arms wrapped around her neck. Tempe's hand was running soothingly up and down his calf that hung in front of her abdomen. The two looked very comfortable with each other. Russ was beyond confused._

_"I'm sorry I'm running late, Russ. We were on our way out, but he got a hold of the chocolate syrup and I had to give him a bath before I brought him anywhere." She apologized. "Just give me ten more minutes and we can go to lunch."_

_The older Brennan was dumbstruck. For as long as she'd been able to voice her opinion, Tempe had never wanted kids and here she was standing in front of him, talking about chocolate and baths. "No problem, but whose is he because unless you've been keeping a pretty big secret, I'm pretty sure he's not yours."_

_Brennan looked at him strangely. "Russ, this is Parker. Booth's son." Why would he think Parker was hers? He knew she'd never given birth. Parker didn't even resemble her._

_He nodded his head in understanding. That explained a lot. "Oh, okay. Nice to meet you big guy." He smiled kindly at Parker who was currently hiding as much of himself as he could from the strange man in front of him._

_"He's shy." Brennan told Russ. In the past month, she had observed on several occasions that Parker acted extremely introverted around people he didn't know. "Parker, this is my brother, Russ. Can you say hello?" She asked while using a tone of voice he found comfort in._

_The five year old looked up and pushed the towel away from his eyes. He smiled a small smile and waved his little hand. "Hi."_

_Brennan gave Russ a look asking for him to forgive his bashfulness. "I have to get him dressed. Is it okay if we swing by Angela's to drop him off before we go to the restaurant?"_

_"Yeah there's no need to rush. Are you sure you don't want to bring him along though?" He didn't know why his sister was taking care of Parker, but he could sympathize with any adult in charge of a five year old. He understood the stress of getting a child to a babysitter._

_"He'd just be bored. Besides, she promised him a cooking lesson on homemade pizza and he can't wait to get dirty all over again." Brennan smiled as she spoke. Her words elicited a giggle from Parker. "We'll be right back." They both disappeared in the back of the apartment once again._

_The siblings sat at a corner table in the best restaurant Russ could afford. Brennan had argued about her paying at least her share but she eventually relented when he played his 'what kind of world are we living in when a brother can't buy his little sister lunch?' card. They had just finished ordering and the normal topics of discussion, work, their father, Amy and the girls, had already been touched on since they'd left Parker with Angela. Russ couldn't control his curiosity about the boy any longer. "So, Tempe, explain this whole taking care of Booth's kid situation to me."_

_She took a sip from her sugarless iced tea before saying, "Booth had to go to a work retreat this weekend to help train new FBI agents, so I'm looking after Parker."_

_"Why isn't he with his mom? I thought he lived with her." Russ inquired._

_Brenna grimaced. "He lives with Booth now."_

_"Did something happen?"_

_"It's not my place to tell anyone, but I assume it's alright since we're blood related. Parker's mother abandoned him."_

_The four words were like acid from her lips. Anytime the 'A' word came up in conversation between the two the atmosphere became increasingly tense. "She just left him on her own free will?" Russ wasn't sure if there were circumstances similar to their parents in this case. He assumed a criminal as a mother and an FBI agent as a father wouldn't do any kid good._

_"She left Parker with his nanny approximately one month ago along with a letter explaining to Booth that she had given up enough of her life to take care of him and that it was time she took care of herself." Brennan felt her jaw stiffen. Russ leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. The poor kid didn't deserve that. During the ten minutes car ride to Angela's he had opened up and had about a million questions when Brennan let it slip that her brother sometimes worked at carnivals. "Booth was very angry. He still hasn't told most people."_

_"I can understand that." He wasn't very forthcoming about how he wasn't Hayley and Emma's real father and how the low life had run off on Amy when Hayley was still in the womb. "So, you babysit when Booth's arresting people?" He still wanted to know how Tempe was involved._

_"The term babysit implies that I'm paid for watching Parker which I am not."_

_Russ thought back to the scene in her apartment. "How often do you watch him?"_

_"Daily or weekly?"_

_"You see him every day?" He asked incredulously._

_"No. I'd say on average 3-5 times a week depending on mine and Booth's work schedule. Most of our time is shared when I pick him up from school and bring him to the lab until Booth gets off. Sometimes if a case runs late, he'll come home with me and Booth will pick him up there, or he'll stay the night if it gets too late."_

_Russ was stunned. "Look, Tempe, I'm really proud that you're doing this for them, but I don't think you know what you're getting into."_

_Brennan sat back in the restaurant chair. She crossed her arms across her chest. She didn't like anyone implying that she didn't know something. "I know perfectly well what I'm doing Russ."_

_"Parker's going to get attached and so will you. Take it from someone with experience. It's really hard to step in to be someone's parent."_

_"I'm not trying to parent him." She argued._

_"Looking after a kid doesn't include giving baths and tucking in at night."_

_Brennan couldn't believe that he ws saying this. Who was he to tell her not to care for someone else's child? "What are you saying Russ that I shouldn't help Booth? He's my partner. It's what we do."_

_"You should help him. I told you it's a good thing what you're doing." He paused. "Just don't be surprised when you realize how quickly you become one of the most important people in Parker's life."_

_I've never written Brennan/Russ scenes. It was fun. Was it good for you?_


	6. Chapter 6

_Love you guys for the feedback. The next update will probably take a little longer than usual. I have graduation and my birthday just around the corner!_

_For those of you who wanted some B&B, this chapter is for you ;) There will be more in the future because I can't help it. Plus, this flashback is pretty short, but it gets the point across. Enjoy!_

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The hour hand of the clock was centimeters from striking the 11. Booth, Brennan, and Russ settled in the living room for some well deserved adult time. After ice cream sundaes, the children changed into their sleep clothes and settled on the floor in Hayley and Emma's shared bedroom which was covered with fuzzy blankets and fluffy pillows. Brennan questioned why they wouldn't sleep on the beds. Emma explained to her that when you have a sleepover you have to sleep on the floor; those were the rules. The children lay down and began to watch a new movie Amy had bought her daughters before her trip. Only fifteen minutes into the film, all three were asleep. The adults took the next hour to clean the mess left behind the tiny tornadoes. Booth and Brennan also took a part of that time to unpack their overnight bags and change clothes.

Russ took a long sip from his almost empty beer bottle and fell back against the couch. "You know what's funny? When you handle two kids all the time, you assume that one more can't be that much of a difference."

Booth let out a hearty chuckle. "You know what they say about assuming things."

Brennan, who was seated on the loveseat next to Booth, looked curiously at him. "No."

Both men laughed. "When you assume things you make an ass out of you and me. It's just a play on the word, Bones."

"Oh." When she rested back against the cushions, Booth felt her shift slightly so her side would press against his. He expertly hid his delight. "That's clever." She yawned when she spoke.

"Tired?"

"Yes, today felt very long." She answered.

"The guest rooms all made up for you guys." Russ said. "Sleep does sound pretty damn good right now. I'm going to hit the hay." He stood up and stretched. "See you when the wild ones wake up." He offered one more goodnight to sister before walking down the hall to his bedroom.

Booth stretched, causing Brennan to slightly frown when he broke their body contact. He smiled warmly when she yawned again. "You better get to bed before I have to carry you in there."

"It wouldn't be difficult for you to carry me. I weigh substantially less than what you can bench press."

"I might hurt my back."

"I'd fix it later." She retorted with a smirk.

Booth knew that she thought she won that argument, but two could play at this game. "Fine, have it your way." Before Brennan could protest, he scooped her into his arms fireman style and headed towards the guest room.

"Seeley Booth, put me down right now!" She tried to wiggle out of his arms. He just held her tighter.

"You're so bossy when you're tired, pretty indecisive too. One second you want me to carry you and the next you don't. You're sending mixed signals, Bones." He teased and slowed his steps, wanting to make this last as long as possible.

They crossed the threshold into the room and she continued to bicker, "I never said I wanted you to carry me. I only stated that you could."

"Oh, my mistake. I'd put you down but, look…" He gently laid her down on the mattress. "…you're already here."

Brennan closed her eyes and nuzzled her head into the pillow, mumbling, "Such an alpha male."

Booth snorted in amusement. She was too adorable when she was exhausted like this. "Goodnight Bones." He started towards the door when her voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"The couch." He answered.

She gathered what energy she could to lift her head. "Why?"

"Bones, I'm not going to sleep in the same bed as you. We're in your brother's house." His prudish, good Catholic boy beliefs reared their ugly head.

Brennan groaned. "Booth, my brother knows we're not sexually involved with each other." She never lost her bluntness even when she had been awake for almost 20 hours. "Besides, we've shared a bed before and everything was fine."

Booth rolled his eyes. Everything was fine for her. She wasn't the one who woke up in a Vegas hotel room with a gorgeous woman wrapped around him like he was a body pillow. "That was because we were on a case. This is different."

Brennan had enough. She leaned up on her elbows. "Yes, this is different. This is me telling you to get into this bed for a proper night's sleep before I have to hurt you."

In all the ways Booth had fantasized about Brennan demanding that he get into bed with her, this scenario hadn't crossed his mind. "You know Bones, threatening a man isn't the best way to get him in bed with you." He took a few steps closer to the bed.

Brennan smiled. "And yet you're still walking towards me." She threw back before pulling up the covers and sinking underneath.

Booth peeled off his shirt and crawled onto the queen sized mattress. He left a respectable amount of space between them. The exchanged another set of goodnights before falling silent. They lay facing each other. The clock on the end table told Booth that he spent ten minutes just staring at her before whispering, "Bones."

"Hmm." She murmured.

He reached over and lightly stroked her cheek with his hand. "Thanks for arranging this. Parker needed it."

Brennan turned her head and kissed his palm. "We all did."

Booth awoke the next morning to the sounds of little feet running down the hallway outside of the closed bedroom door. Being a light sleeper was one of the long term consequences of being a sniper. He stretched but his limbs hardly had any space to move. He was both surprised and unsurprised to find Parker snuggled between Brennan and himself. One of his tiny hands gripped her shirt. The other was busy keeping that damn thumb suctioned between his lips. Booth decided to ask Russ if he had helped either of the girls break that habit. His stomach grumbled, so he carefully scooted off the bed and headed towards the kitchen.

His movement down the hallway was halted when he heard Emma's curious voice ask, "Daddy is Aunt Tempe Parker's mommy?"

Booth's jaw went slack. He knew what Parker's relationship Bones looked like to strangers, but now her niece didn't even know where the line was drawn. "No, honey. You know that." Russ replied.

"I know she's not his real mommy the way mommy is my real mommy, but I mean is she his mommy like you're my daddy. You didn't help mommy make me but you take care of me so that's why you're my daddy."

It was then that Booth realized how similar their situations were. "We're different than Aunt Tempe and Parker, sweetheart. Me and mommy are a couple who love each other. When you love someone who has kids, you should take care of them like they're your own children."

"Don't Aunt Tempe and Booth love each other?" Emma was blinded by her innocence as to how serious her questions were.

"Good question, honey." Russ laughed off his answer. He knew they did, but he didn't think they knew it yet, so he was keeping his mouth shut.

Emma was silent for a few moments. Booth heard her slurp something; he guessed that it was milk or juice from breakfast. He almost started back towards the guest room before her voice caught him off guard once again. "Parker wants her to be his mommy."

His heart stopped. Booth automatically heard Brennan's voice in his head that if his heart stopped he'd be dead. It might not have literally stopped, but it certainly felt that way. "Oh yeah?" Russ asked her with peaked interest.

"Uh-huh. He told me and sissy last night. We were telling secrets before bed and he said he wants to call Aunt Tempe mommy but he doesn't think he's allowed." She spoke casually. "Don't you think he should be able to call her mommy?"

Russ didn't quite know what to think about that. He wanted Tempe to know the kind of love he shared with his girls, but the idea of his baby sister being someone's mommy did freak him out a little. "I don't think it's any of our business, nosey girl. Finish your cereal."

Booth walked silently back towards the bedroom. Emma's words replayed like a broken record in his head. _Parker wants her to be his mommy. Parker wants her to be his mommy. Parker wants her to be his mommy._

He couldn't say that he never envisioned it. When the three of them were alone he'd be content to just watch Brennan and Parker interact for hours. She had become so maternal in the six months that she'd become a constant in his son's life. She'd remind him to brush his teeth. She'd let him help her cook dinner. She'd read him bedtime stories. She didn't act like a babysitter. Brennan has instinctively stepped into the role of surrogate mother to Parker. Booth had tried to ignore it and chalk it up to her being a helpful friend who just enjoyed being around the boy. To his knowledge, Parker had thought the same thing. Apparently he had been extremely mistaken.

Booth pushed open the door he had just left cracked. He stopped dead in his tracks and leaned against the frame. His gaze locked on the picture before him. Bones was asleep. She unconsciously cradled Parker in her arms. His son was beginning to wake. He lifted his head of messy blonde curls upward and looked at the woman who held him. He laid his head back down on her shoulder and closed his eyes with a blissful smile.

It was then that Booth realized that he had to make a decision. He could either let this fantasy go on and pray that it would eventually turn to reality, or he could redraw the line between them all before anyone got hurt again. As he pondered the quandary, he hoped that neither Bones nor Parker would resent him for his choice.

Around eight o'clock that night Booth, Russ, and Parker arrived back to the house. After breakfast, Booth asked Russ about the sports complex he saw back on the highway. Russ informed him that there were batting cages, a driving range, put-put golf, simulator arcade games, and a sports themed, bar and grill. Booth insisted on taking Parker "to get him away from the Barbies and glitter for a while," he had said. He asked Russ to tag along and make it a guys day. In reality, he seized the opportunity to conduct a little experiment. He needed to see how his son acted without Bones. He knew they needed her, but he had to see how much Parker simply wanted her around.

The little girls fought the idea at first. Brennan hadn't been excited either, but she thought it be wonderful to spend some quality time alone with her nieces. The children decided that if Parker got a boys day, then they had to have a girls day. They asked their aunt if they could go to the mall or the salon where their mommy went to get pretty at. Brennan wouldn't ever consider herself a girly girl, but Angela had forced her to spend several days in the past doing exactly what Emma and Hayley asked, so she knew she could handle it.

At the start of the day, Booth had purposefully left his cell in the car so Parker wouldn't be tempted to call Brennan. On the days the boy didn't see her he would always phone her and talk for at least five minutes about his day. That day however, the father didn't want any calls or text messages influencing his desire to be with her. He wanted to act based on what Parker truly wanted and letting Russ serve as the communicator between the two groups was the only way to figure out what that was.

Booth was hardly shocked though when Parker jumped into Brennan's arms the second they walked in the door. Several times during their outing he had brought her into the conversation and even went as far as asking his dad to bring her something from the gift shop so she wouldn't think they forgot about her. Booth took his jacket off. He listened to the girls recount their day to Russ. "Aunt Tempe bought us two new outfits and pretty sandals and sparkly hair clips, and look daddy, we got flowers painted on our nails!" Booth smiled when Emma spun in a circle showing off her new skirt. He knew that Brennan loved to spoil them since she hardly ever got to.

His attention quickly reverted back to Parker. He sat next to Brennan on the couch. He showed her his blue golf ball he almost got a hole in one with. He had accidentally stolen it because he claimed to not have seen the 'Please return ball after game sign'. Booth let it slide. He told her about beating Russ in air hockey. "Daddy helped, but only a little." He said.

"It sounds like you had a very enjoyable time."

Parker nodded. "Yeah, but it wasn't as fun since you weren't there."

Booth sighed and leaned against the wall. There was his answer. He felt stupid for even questioning it. He knew long before then how big of a mark Brennan had made on Parker.

_FIVE MONTHS EARLIER_

_The black Toyota Sequoia zipped down the D.C. highway. Booth's attention peaked when he heard his son humming in his child seat. At first he thought nothing of it. He was just a five year old entertaining himself. Five minutes past and the volume of the humming increased. The father listened attentively when he realized he recognized the tune._

_"Hey, bub, what are you humming?"_

_Without turning his eyes from the window, Parker replied. "The trying song."_

_"The trying song?" Booth inquired._

_"Bones sings it to me. She said her daddy sung it to her when she was little like me. I like hearin' it at bedtime."_

_Booth felt his heart squeeze when he imagined his partner gentle voice lulling is son to sleep. "I know that song, buddy. I can sing it to you sometimes if you want."_

_Parker shook his head. "No thank you, daddy. I like it when Bones does it."_

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_Were B&B cute? Did I stay in character? Is the family dynamic progressing too fast? Tell me! I appreciate and consider all your input!_


	7. Chapter 7

_I AM SOOOO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! Things have been crazy for me. I had graduation and my birthday. I've been saying goodbye to some friends. I've been planning for college. Basically, I've started to grow up and it sucks because it makes it very difficult _to_ write. BUT I found time and this update is for all of you who reviewed/alerted/favorited the last chapter because you keep me going! Hugs for all of you. Enjoy the longest chapter yet!_

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"Parker, please do not run inside!" Brennan disciplined the five year old who was jetting around her apartment pretending to be a spaceman. She realized that while most games Parker invented were different almost all of them ended with him simply running around with his arms out in front of him, spouting off about saving the world. Unfortunately, those games often lead to the demise of a toy or one of her artifacts that would accidentally end up in his way.

It was late Wednesday evening. They had been back in D.C. for over a week now. Parker had been in high spirits ever sense their impromptu trip to visit Russ and the girls. He had been in an especially good mood tonight. After they left the lab, Brennan surprised him by stopping at a movie rental. Secretly, she hoped that a film would subdue him until Booth picked him up because she was about two chapters behind where she should have been on her latest novel. The plan backfired. After dinner and one viewing of a children's movie about talking toys, Parker took on the persona of the main spaceman character and transformed her living room into star command. She had been cleaning up after him ever since.

Just as Brennan bent down to pick up pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, Parker jumped onto the couch. He had a piece of long cardboard taped to his back. From what Brennan gathered they were "wings". "Oh, no! The evil Emperor Zurg just invaded the galaxy! This is a job for a space ranger!" He bounced back off the furniture and scurried to his bedroom before she could remind him that the couch was for sitting not standing.

When Brennan heard yet one other item fall to the floor, she gave up and moved towards her desk. She'd just have to wait until Booth picked up his son to restore her home to its normal level of tidiness. There was a part of her that knew she should tell Parker to clean up the mess. Usually, she would have. However, she and Booth had been hit with a hard case that week. She knew that the only reason her partner even insisted on having Parker stay with him that evening was because he needed to know his child was close by. She also knew how exhausted he would be. So, she decided that sacrificing her apartment for one night to ensure that Parker wouldn't be a hellion for Booth was well worth it.

Once her laptop booted up, she ignore her book document. She wasn't in the mood to have a blinking cursor mock her. Instead she opened her e-mail and found a few new messages.

The one from Russ asked where she had gotten the girl's hairclips. Apparently they had lost them and could only remember that it was a pretty store that was kind of far away. Another was from Angela in which she begged Brennan to accompany her on a spa weekend Hodgins set up for her. The scientist made a mental note to check the dates with Booth before accepting. He might need to leave Parker with her during that time. There was another from a weekly anthropology online journal she subscribed to. She would read that later. The final message caught her attention.

It was from an e-mail address she didn't recognize, but it ended in .edu. She assumed it to be college professor's. She often communicated with many of them in her field.

Brennan read through the wordy message once and sighed. Her hands locked together and she rested her forehead against them. Her guess was correct. Dr. Garret Blake, the current head of the anthropology department at Northwestern University, was requesting her presence to help identify four sets of human remains that were dated to be over 4,000 years old. They had been sent to the school a few days prior and after a general examination, it was decided that she was the best for the job.

Suddenly, she felt very torn. The scientist within her jumped at the chance. She could begin to imagine how significant this find could be. History books would more than likely have to be re-written if she could validate Dr. Blake's initial discoveries. As tempted as accepting was, a side of her that she had recently begun to become more in touch with discouraged it. Booth referred to it as putting her heart into overdrive. What would he do without her? Could he take care of Parker by himself? She shook her head at the thought. Of course he could. He wasn't inept.

"Bones!" Parker called, shuffling towards her from the hallway. Brennan looked up to find a heart broken expression on his face. In his hands were his cardboard wings except now they were bent and partly ripped. "They broke." He pouted.

She lowered her laptop screen and turned her chair towards him. "Would you like to fix them or make new ones?"

He beamed. "I can make new ones?"

"Of course. Go get the box you got used before." She instructed. The five year old darted into the kitchen where an old box rested in the recycle bin.

"Thanks, Bones!" He yelled, running across the living room towards his bedroom.

Brennan paused for a moment before darting from her desk chair. "Parker Booth, don't you dare try to use a pair of scissors by yourself!"

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The next day Booth had managed to leave the Hoover before the time Parker was released from school. He took the opportunity to surprise his son and pick him up. He reacted as expected. The boy jumped into his arms with excitement and waited a whole five minutes into the car ride before asking why Bones hadn't come with him. "Bones says pickin' me up is her favorite time of day." He had said.

The father had been curious as well. He called her from his office and asked her to accompany him, but she turned him down, claiming that she was working on something very important and was actually relieved that she wouldn't have to stop. He later found out that was a lie when he received a phone call from Angela. She told him that Brennan hadn't left to get Parker yet and wanted to make sure that he was. He told her the story about Bones working. The artist informed him that her friend had done nothing but make phones calls and sit staring at her computer for hours.

Booth's worry lasted into the evening. Bones didn't lie. Ever. If she did lie it must have been something huge. From past experience he knew that secrets were usually bad and for Brennan to withhold one practically guaranteed it was about something he wouldn't like. So to find out what was really going on, he insisted that she join him and Parker for dinner.

The three of them sat at the dining table in Booth's apartment enjoying an Italian feast he prepared. Parker slurped a long spaghetti noodle between his puckered lips. "This is really yummy, daddy."

Booth laughed. "I'm glad you like it, bub." He reached over and wiped his sauce covered lips with a napkin. "Just try to get it all in your mouth on the next bite."

Brennan smiled at them before turning all her attention to the child. "Did you have a pleasant day at school?"

Parker nodded. "We did some worksheets with money like pennies and quarters. It was really easy. Then we learned about some presidents like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson." He took a bit of his garlic bread. "Did he name the Jeff'sonian?"

"The Jeffersonian wasn't built when he was alive, but it was named after him." She informed. He nodded and slurped up another bite. "Is that all that happened today? Normally you give me many more details." He'd give her information right down to what his classmates brought for lunch. The stories were practically the same day, but she loved to hear him talk about school with such vigor.

"That cuz I tell you when you pick me up at school. Everything just happened. Now it's nighttime and I forgot some stuff. How come you didn't come with daddy today?"

Booth wanted to pump his fist in the air. Inwardly he was practically shouting "that's my boy" for bringing up the topic he was nervous to address.

Between the eyes of Parker and Booth, Brennan felt like she was in an intense interrogation. "I'm sorry, but I was very busy at work. I thought I'd let daddy surprise you on his own."

Booth wasn't happy that she was continuing to lie, especially to Parker, but he hid his smirk well when his son fired another question at her. "But aren't you always very busy?" The boy countered.

"Yes, but today I was very, very busy." She quickly changed topics. "Looks like you're all done. Why don't you bring plate into the kitchen and then go pick out what book you want to read tonight?"

Parker was distracted by her suggestion. He shifted off his seat and was in his room going through his books within seconds. Booth on the other hand picked up on what she did. Brennan was avoiding eye contact with him. She wouldn't dare look up under his strong gaze. "So are you going to tell me what's going on, or should I get Parker back in here?" She heard him ask.

His voice was calm, slightly teasing even. There wasn't any detection of anger. She finally looked at him. The expression written across his handsome face told her that he wanted an answer. Brennan pushed her plate a few inches away from her. "I received an e-mail from a professor at Northwestern." She began. "He's asked me to come help identify remains that were sent to the university." When Booth didn't reply she added. "They were discovered in a burial site in Israel. They've been dated to be over four thousand years old."

"You want to go." He stated.

"Yes." Brennan answered. A silent pause passed between them. She took a deep breath. "And no." His eyebrows rose. She knew he was going to speak but words started to pour from her mouth before she could stop them. "I know that this find is extraordinary and working with a team of professors that used to teach me would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I predict that going through the proper procedures of authentication just to get to lengthy process of identification will takes weeks possibly. I don't think I can afford to be away from the Jeffersonian for that length of time and I'm very sure that I couldn't be away from Parker either." The last few words shot out of mouth like spitfire. She almost spoke so fast that he couldn't understand her, but all he had to hear was one word: Parker.

Booth heart clenched. This wasn't about how long it would take or being away from work. It was about Parker. She was attached, plain and simple. "You don't want to leave Parker." He restated, slightly smiling at the words.

"No." She confidently replied. "And you and I both know how he'd feel about it."

Booth didn't need to be reminded. He remembered his son's reaction the last time the topic of her traveling was brought up.

_FOUR MONTHS EARLIER_

_Brennan watched Parker play with a set of building blocks while she ended a phone conversation. She recently purchased a few new toys for him to keep at her apartment, the blocks included. "Yes, it's scheduled for 8 a.m. this Thursday. I should arrive around noon Friday. I look forward to it." She ended the call and sat down on the floor next to the boy._

_"What at 8 o'clock, Bones?" He curiously asked while carefully stacking blocks higher._

_"I have a flight to India." She answered, reaching for one of the blocks to join him._

_He stopped playing. "Where's India?"_

_Brennan stood up and walked over to a globe she had sitting on her bookshelf. She sat back down beside him. "Do you know where we are?" She asked, knowing he'd been learning that in school recently._

_"Yup." He turned the sphere and pointed to the middle of the east coast of the United States._

_She smiled at his intelligence. "That's right." She rotated the globe 180 degrees and pointed to her destination. "India is right here."_

_Parker frowned. "All the way cross the 'lantic ocean? That's real far." She proceeded to tell him that it was over 7,000 miles away. "How long are you goin' there?"_

_"I'm don't know yet."_

_Parker brown eyes widened at her words. The last time he heard them were when they came from his father's mouth when he told her about his mother disappearing. His mouth parted slightly. The block in his hand dropped to the floor. "NO!" Brennan flinched at scream. "No, no, no, no, NO!" Fat tears started to run down his red cheeks. He flung himself at her. His arms wrapped around her neck and his legs locked around her waist. He wailed into her neck for a few moments. All she could do was was attempt to calm him down. She rubbed his back and whispered soothing words in his ears, but nothing worked. He pulled his head away from her. When she caught sight of his face she almost cried herself. He'd ever looked to upset in all the time she'd known him. "You can't go away, Bones! Please, please, please don't go away. I promise I'll be good and I'll never, never, never cry again, just please don't go away. We can bring back all my toys and I won't ask for nothin' else ever again!" He frantically spout._

_Brennan didn't understand his tantrum. "Parker, this isn't about your toys."_

_"But you wanna go away! You wanna leave me!" He argued and a new round of sobs escaped his mouth. "How come you don't love me anymore, Bones?"_

_Her eyebrows shot towards the ceiling. How in the world could he even ask such a thing? "I do love you. I always will."_

_"NO YOU DON'T!" Parker pulled away from her, but he didn't stand. He banged his fists on the floor. "You said that you never leave people you love! If you're leaving that means you don't love me and I made you mad at me." He hit the tower of blocks and they all came crashing down. "I'm sorry I got the blocks! I'll make daddy give them back to the toy store."_

_"Parker, this isn't about the blocks." She desperately tried to reason with him._

_He scooted back closer to her. "Are you still made I broke your vase? Daddy wouldn't let me try to fix it. I even tried to get the pieces from the trach can, but he wouldn't let me!"_

_Brennan couldn't believe he was bringing that up. It happened weeks ago. He accidentally knocked over the glass sculpture of hers during one of his games. He begged both she and his father to let him fix it, but he didn't understand how badly his fingers would be cut. "I was never mad about the vase."_

_"Then why are you gunna leave? Did daddy make you mad? I'll tell him to say he's sorry." Parker wiped furiously at his face. It was getting difficult to talk with the amount of tears flowing down it. "Please don't leave, Bones. You can't go away like mommy did."_

_The realization hit Brennan with force. Reasoning with him wasn't going to solve this. She grabbed his forearms and gently pulled him to her. He allowed it and wrapped himself around her like before. He cried into her shoulder a minute more while she tried to find the words. When she did, she forced him to look at her. "I will never leave you."_

_"But-" He tried to speak but she stopped him when she placed a __hand on both side of his face. _

_"No buts. I love you with all my heart. That won't ever change. I will NEVER leave you. If you don't want me to go anywhere, I won't go. I will stay right here." The fierceness of her words scared her. In the couple of months she'd been a constant Parker's life she hadn't take the time to truly reflect on how much she cared for him. She knew she loved him, but it was that moment that she realized that the emotion wouldn't ever fade. It wasn't logical. It couldn't be boiled down the brain chemistry. She just knew, deep down, that the love she felt for this child was not temporary._

_He took a few shaky breaths. "No India?"_

_"No India. I promise."_

_Parker hugged her as tight as he could. Brennan rocked him back and forth. She his cheeks and hair while chanting over and over, "I'll never leave."_

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Three cheers for fluffy angst! Did you like it? Was is too over the top? Did you totally forget about this story and couldn't care less anymore? Let me know!

BTW: THE NEXT UPDATE WON'T TAKE THIS LONG. I PROMISE.


	8. Chapter 8

_You guys blew me away with that last chapter. I'm SO glad you all like it. I hope this one will go over just as well._

_This chapter got to be VERY long, so I split it into two parts which is why there isn't a flashback as the end of this update. The second part will be up in a few days when I finish it (hopefully, as long as no problem comes up). For those of you who are dying for BB scenes, I'm stealing the immortal words of our god Hart Hanson, "Be patient."_

It was far too early before anyone should be awake on a Saturday let alone dressed and strolling into the busy Dulles International Airport. It was definitely too early for a certain tired, five year old little boy who had to be carried in by his daddy. Booth strode at Brennan's side, holding a snoozing Parker with only one of his arms. The other was pulling a large rolling suitcase.

After a long discussion and a week of planning, the crime fighting duo had come to an agreement. The three of them would fly to Illinois, accompanying Brennan to Evanston. Booth and Parker would stay the weekend and then they'd fly to Philadelphia to visit their extended family. After a week there, they would fly back to Illinois, spend a little time sightseeing in Chicago with Bones, and then they'd all return home. Booth had wanted an opportunity to go back to his stopping ground for years. Some of his relatives had never even met Parker. Now that Parker's school year was days from finishing and Brennan was heading north for work, he knew it was time. The duration that father and son would spend in Chicago was going to be treated like a little vacation. The time that Brennan was alone at Northwestern was going to be totally dedicated to work. The adults knew their plan was going to be hectic, but it was no doubt going to be a memory making experience.

Brennan towed two medium sized pieces of luggage behind her. She also had a carryon bag slung over one shoulder. As the trio waited in line for reach the ticket counter, she let the rolling bags stand on their own and groggily leaned against Booth. They were both exhausted, not having been able to get Parker to sleep until 10 pm the night before. He had been bouncing off the walls for days about their vacation.

After ten more minutes of waiting, Brennan collected their boarding passes. One of their biggest debates arose when she insisted on paying their airfare. She argued that she was the reason for the trip in the first place. Booth argued that he couldn't let her pay for him or his son. They decided that Brennan would pay their way to and from Illinois, and Booth would pay for the tickets to Philly.

When they arrived at their gate inside the main terminal, Booth spotted a cafe already bustling with the early morning crowd. He didn't want to bring his sleepy son into the chaos, but the man was desperate for a morning jolt. "Can you stay here with him while I get the coffee?" He motioned to the bench where Brennan had just set her carry on.

"Of course." Brennan moved closer to Booth and stood slightly at his side. Once her arms opened, the father shifted his son towards her. Parker fell into her arms with ease. His only movement occurred when he turned his head, so he could bury his face into her neck. Booth sent her a small smile when he realized they'd become pros at that exchange. Brennan returned the grin and sat down next to her bag.

Her hand moved mindlessly on its own along the boy's spine. She felt horribly guilty for pulling him out of bed when he'd only received half the hours of sleep that was recommended for his age group the night before. She gently rested her head against his. Her eyes closed and the noises of the airport dulled as she focused on his steady breathing. It was that moment when she realized how grateful she was that he and Booth weren't at the airport to say goodbye. She couldn't imagine the feeling of culpability that would loom over her if she had to walk away from Parker this morning. He wouldn't have understood that she'd eventually come home. He was fragile, still suffering with the consequences of Rebecca's abandonment. With their cleverly crafted travel plan, Parker saw the next week and a half as a fun trip with daddy and Bones, and while Bones had to spend boring time working, he was going to get to have lots of fun with daddy's family in the place he grew up.

The line at the coffee counter shortened one by one; now Booth was two people away from ordering. He read over the chalk written menu several times. Every few seconds he'd gaze at his partner cradling Parker. His sniper trained senses centered in on an older woman looking at him with a smirk played her thin lips.

She glanced over his shoulder. Booth's eyes followed and landed the bench holding his entire world. Her smile grew wider. "You have a gorgeous family." She spoke kindly.

Without thinking he replied, "Thank you," with his most endearing charm smile.

After finally receiving their drinks, he maneuvered through the café crowd, but before he exited the same old woman stopped him again as he wiped condensation from Parker's juice box. She chuckled and looked directly at him. "He seems like a real mamma's boy. My little Leon was the same way. Tell her to enjoy it. They grow up too fast."

He didn't have the heart to correct her, so he gave her another smile and simply walked away. Brennan breathed a sigh of relief when the coffee cup was presented to her. Booth almost handed it off but stopped when he considered the difficulty of drinking with a child in your arms. "You want me to take him?"

"Not yet." The words tumbled out before she considered them. Brennan was never shy about her adoration for Parker, but sometimes she wondered if Booth ever felt uncomfortable with her attachment. Most of the time however his expression turned practically giddy when she returned the boys "love you"s, so she didn't worry often.

She balanced Parker with one hand while she used the other to take a long sip of the caffeinated drink. "I got him some apple juice and a muffin. Poor kid needs an energy boost." Booth informed as he sat down next to her. Because the bench was small, their bodies were touching from their shoulder down to the thigh. "6:45 is too early to fly. Maybe we should ask Hodgins to call the F.A.A. again and delay it a few hours?" He jokingly whispered in her hear.

When the sensation of his warm breath on her ear overwhelmed her, she briefly closed her eyes to savor the feeling, before replying, "It's illegal."

Booth shrugged and sipped his coffee. "Didn't stop us the first time." He looked at his son. "He's got to wake up. Rise and shine, buddy." His voice gently coaxed the boy out of sleep soft.

After a few minutes of dream interrupting comments, Parker fist rubbed his tired eyes. He looked up at the person holding him. "Bones?" His voice was heavy with the confusion of first waking up.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She responded with a sweet smile.

"We're at the airport, bub. We have to take off in a little while." His father added.

Brennan helped Parker turn in her lap so he faced outward. He shifted slightly and rested his legs on his father's knees. "How much longer til we get on the airplane?" The child questioned before closing his lips around the straw of his juice box.

"We'll be called first to board and that should happen..." Brennan glanced at her watch. "…in about twenty minutes."

"How high are we gunna go?"

"Most commercial aircrafts fly around 35,000 feet." The scientist took the role of answer man. Parker had been on an airplane once as a toddler, but this was the first flight he was going to remember. He had new questions about it every hour since they told him that flying was how they would travel.

He asked several more. "How fast are we gunna go? Can I sit by the window? Can I see where the pilot sits? Can you really get sucked out if you go potty?"

Luckily, before he came up with another, their section was called. The stewardess scanned their boarding passes and they strode down the expandable hallway to the plane entrance. Parker grabbed hold of both their hands before they stepped onto the jet. Another woman greeted them with a polite "good morning." Booth returned the courtesy and led the way to their first class seats. They sat on the right side of the business class in a row of three. The Special Agent didn't want to begin to guess their price. He had refused to look at the computer screen when Brennan purchased them online. He let Parker enter the row first so he could sit by the window. Brennan put her bag into the overhead compartment and then sat in the middle seat, leaving Booth with the end.

Parker was practically shaking with excitement. He sat on his knees in the seat and looked out to see other airplanes taxiing in and out of multiple gates. His little jaw dropped when he watched one in the distance speed up like a bullet shooting out of a gun before flying into the air.

"Bones? Do we go fast before we fly?" He asked, knowing she'd have an answer.

"Yes. The pilot will guide the plane to the runway and come to a complete stop before we sped up. That's what builds up the lift to make us fly into the air. If we don't go fast, there wouldn't be any lift and we'd stay on the ground." Brennan impressed herself by her relatively simple answer. She consciously worked on simplifying her vocabulary around Parker. He would eventually stop communicating with her if he never understood her speech.

"Okay." He sat correctly in his seat and buckled up. The rest of the passengers filed in and before he knew it the flight attendant was going over safety instructions. When she put a yellow cup on her face with a plastic bag and string attached, he spoke again. "What's that for?"

"It's an oxygen mask." Booth took the liberty of responding.

"That's what we breathe right?" The adults nodded. "But if can already breathe, why do I need a mask?"

"If there's a problem with the plane, the oxygen levels can get low and the masks are there to make sure that everyone can breathe if that happens."

He looked at the stewardess who was how pointing to a pamphlet that had a picture of a person floating in water, holding what looked like the cushion he sat on. "Are we gunna crash in the water?"

"No!" Booth and Brennan answered in unison. "Don't be scared, bub. Everything will be fine." The father added. The last thing he needed was to be kicked off the plane for his son making a scene.

Parker quickly unbuckled his seat belt. "I don't wanna sit by the window!" He stood in front of Brennan and tugged at her hands. "Please switch with me, Bones."

Brennan sympathetically shifted to the window spot. Parker jumped into the middle seat and strapped himself in tightly. A minute later, the plane jolted to life. The boy clasped his hands over his eyes. "Parker, airplanes are the safest way to travel. They fly the same way a bird does. They don't just fall out of the sky. The chance of something going wrong is extremely low, practically non-existent."

"I just don't wanna see." He retorted, snuggling into his dad's chest.

The plane rolled steadily before halting. Parker reached for one of Brennan's palms. His eyes stayed clenched shut. A second later they were racing down the runway. Their seats quaked under them before finally going still. "What happened?" Parker's muffled voice asked. His face was still pressed into Booth's shirt.

"Why don't you look and see?" His father encouraged.

Slowly, Parker's brown eyes opened and darted around the cabin. A calm blue was visible through every window. Orange streaks of the morning's sun cut through the tranquil hue. Collections of fluffy white clouds randomly dotted the sky. "Cool!"

(***)

After landing at the airport and picking up their baggage, Brennan and the two Booths rode a small bus down the road to pick up their rental car. They stopped to eat a late lunch and then drove the half an hour to Evanston, IL where Northwestern was located. Upon arriving in the city, they checked into a near hotel which at Brennan's request was a Hilton. A local convention put a wrench in their plans however leaving only one suite available. Once their lodging was taken care of, they drove to the University so Brennan could meet the team she would work with for the upcoming week and receive a preliminary report to comb over during the weekend. By the time the other professors and scientists let her go, it was dinner time. At a quarter after 9 pm, the three ambled through the doorway of their hotel room. The exhaustion from the day's activities weighed heavily on them.

The adults dropped their suitcases a few feet into the room. Parker set his own child sized bag on the floor. He inspected the spacious room. A circular table equipped with two chairs sat under a large window. The bathroom from what he deduced was just as normal as the one at home. There were glass doors leading to the balcony that had a nice view from their third story room. In the middle of the space was one large king sized bed. To him, it looked like fun to jump on. He glanced at his father and Bones. They were silent and eyeing the bed warily. Being the boy he is, Parker decided to break the silence. In one swift move, he kicked his shoes off and hopped onto the mattress.

"Parker, you're not at home. No jumping." His father reprimanded, though he smirked at his son's enthusiasm.

The boy bounced again. "But you don't let me jump on my bed at home, daddy."

"You're right. Now knock it off." He raised his voice slightly and opened his suitcase to pull out a pair of the boys pajamas. He took the liberty of putting his son's clothes in his bag. Parker's was mostly full of toys. "Come on, you need a bath."

Parker sucked his teeth. "Do I gotta?"

"Yes. You smell like airplane." His father teased.

Parker face scrunched. "I don't smell like the plane, do I Bones?" Brennan smiled and moved closer to the bed.

"Hmm." She leaned close to him and nuzzled her nose right under his ear, pretending to sniff him. He giggled at the ticklish sensation. "Actually, I think you smell more like the pine scented air fresheners in the rental car. Either way, I think a bath is definitely in order."

Parker grimaced. "Fine." He stuck his feet out from under him, causing him to bounce onto his bottom once before scooting off the bed. He darted into the bathroom, secretly hoping the bathtub would have a fun faucet to play with.

"Hey, how come when you say he needs a bath he doesn't fight about it?" Booth joked while digging travel sized children's shampoo from his bag.

She shrugged. "He likes me more."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Maybe he's finally taking to heart all those conversation about smelling good for the ladies we've had." He teased, knowing he'd get a rise out of her.

Brennan gave him an incredulous look. "When are you going to stop trying to turn him into some heartbreaking Romeo?"

He laughed. "I would love to continue this conversation, but he's going to flood the place if I don't get in there." He stepped towards the bathroom and saw that Parker was standing with his shirt off already messing with the hot and cold handles.

An hour later, everyone was bathed and dressed for bed. Parker got a few minutes of cartoon time while Brennan was busy doing her nightly beauty ritual of removing makeup and applying moisturizer. Once she was finished, the TV channel switched to the local news channel where a late night TV host was doing his opening monologue. Booth was lying on the left side of the bed. Parked was cuddled next to him, drifting to sleep. All lights in the hotel room were turned off, except for a small lamp on the table by the window.

Booth had been anxious about this part of the night. Nervousness always settled over him before he slept in a bed with Brennan. It didn't happen often enough for him to ever get used to it. Luckily though having Parker right between them did help keep his wicked thoughts at bay. He watched her pull the file she'd received at the university from her bag. "Bones, what are you doing?"

Brennan couldn't bring herself to look at him. She knew what she'd see. The large, warm, comfortable bed. Parker, adorable, snuggled into a fluffy pillow. Booth, shirtless, resembling a Roman god. The whole picture would look very inviting. "I need to start examining Dr. Blake's findings to make sure they don't contradict. I only have until Monday and I know we have a full weekend planned."

"Put that down. You're exhausted." The alpha-male inside him took over.

"I'm fine, Booth. I slept on the plane."

"For forty minutes."

"I'm not that tired."

"Not that tired is still tired."

"I need to work. Stop being so protective."

"Why do you keep saying that like I can just turn off my need to protect you?" His words hung in the air. Booth hadn't intended to start a serious conversation at this time of night, but he had to make her realize that he genuinely worried about her welfare.

Her blue eyes bore into his brown orbs. Despite the room hardly being lit, the intensity of their gaze held for a silent moment. "It shouldn't be a _need_, Booth."

"But it is." He glanced down at his son who was slumbering peacefully, undisturbed by their voices. "I care about you, Bones. You're not someone I work with. You're my best friend. You're my family. You're _our_ family." He whispered, motioning to Parker.

Brennan was taken aback by his declaration. "I…I thought we were just…just partners." She stumbled over her words.

Booth shook his head slightly. "Bones, you know we're not just anything."

She looked down at the file in her hands. "I just want to look this over once tonight."

He smiled. Though she was jumping back into work, he knew his assertion had an effect on her. "You got twenty minutes before I drag you over here."

(***)

To Brennan's liking, Booth didn't watch her like a hawk during her allotted time. He fell asleep about five minutes after settling his head on the pillow beneath him. It was now almost 11 pm. The scientist pulled her eyes away from the official papers when a soft sob came from Parker's lips.

He had drifted away from his father and now on the right side of the bed. The sound he made was small She didn't think twice about reacting to it until another one followed. His limbs started to stir, but his eyes remained closed. He whimpered, "Mommy, mommy." Before she had time to organize the reports correctly, Parker let out a tortured whine. Brennan was at his side in an instant.

She slid under the blankets and pulled him against gently against her. Her hand stroked his face. "Parker, wake up. Open your eyes. You're only dreaming."

A few seconds later, his dilated pupils focused on her. "You were gone." His small voice confessed. "I woke up at home and I couldn't find you."

Brennan wrapped an arm around him and pulled him upward slightly so his head would rest right under her chin. He snuggled into her. "I'm here."

"I kept callin' for you but you didn't answer."

Her brow furrowed. Parker hadn't been calling for her. He was calling for his mother. He often did during when he had night terrors. Ignoring the mix up, she brought his hand to the left side of her chest and placed it over her heart. "Do you know what that is?"

"Your heartbeat."

"That's right. As long as you can feel it, you know I'm right here." She kissed his hair. "Go back to sleep."

For a solid five minutes, the only sound that could be heard in the room was their breathing. Brennan's eyelids were getting heavy. She was trying to stay conscious until she knew Parker was asleep again. Exhaustion caught up with her. Right before she slipped into a dream world, two small words echoed in her ears.

"Goodnight, mommy."

Without a second thought, she mumbled, "Goodnight baby."

_Unbeknownst to Brennan, the FBI Agent who hadn't moved a muscle wasn't anywhere close to being asleep and over heard the entire exchange._

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_You like? I had to go into detail about their new setting and what was going on so excuse the lack of plot. There will be plenty next chapter! Please let me know what you think!_


	9. Chapter 9

_This should go without saying now but you guys are AMAZING. I was blown away by all those reviews last chapter. I'm so glad you like this story. Your feedback really makes me want to do my best with these chapters. I hope the wait wasn't too bad! Most of this chapter poured out of me about an hour ago so please excuse any mistakes. I wanted to get this up ASAP. Enjoy!_

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It was early afternoon when Brennan, Booth, and Parker arrived at the merry-go-round in the center of the Lincoln Square Zoo. The animal kingdom was the first destination planned for their weekend of Chicago tourism. Once Parker found out they had children's rides however, the exotic creatures were briefly forgotten about. He rode the children's train twice and ran the entire way to next amusement. Brennan waited in the small line with Parker and then walked him to the cheetah he insisted on riding on. She lifted him onto the colorful feline when his small voice asked, "Is daddy mad?"

The five year old and the scientist shared a look. Her first instincts told her to deny it, but she knew the child was just as perceptive as his father. Dissimilar to them, Brennan could rarely understand others emotions, but when it came to Booth, he was an open book to her.

His attitude had been unpleasant since they had woken up. She didn't know the cause. The conversation the night before between she and him was a bit intense, but his mood was still elevated when he fell asleep. From what she knew, there hadn't been an upsetting phone call during the night. For a moment she even considered that he'd had a bad dream, but when she asked, he laughed sarcastically and refused.

"Why do you think he's mad?" Brennan asked, avoiding answering his question.

"Cuz when we went to see the chimps he didn't make his funny monkey sounds and he always does."

She smiled at his innocent response. "I don't think he's mad, but if he is I promise he's not mad at you." Her assurance made him grin. "Have fun." She stepped off the contraption and headed towards the bench where his father was seated.

Booth couldn't stop hearing it. The four words had played on repeat through his mind all night and morning. _Goodnight Mommy. Goodnight Baby._ When had that started? They sounded way too comfortable saying it for it to have been the first time. But he would have known, wouldn't he? He hadn't forgotten overhearing Emma tell Russ that Parker wanted to call Bones…that. Wanting it and actually doing it, however, were two very different things. What truly boggled his mind more than his son was Brennan. Did she actually want him to call her…that? The title didn't surprise her like it did him, so it must not have been the first time she heard it. It would definitely startle her. This was Bones he was talking about. Dr. Temperance 'I don't want to have kids' Brennan wouldn't ever be okay with being called…that.

He watched as Brennan helped his son onto the ride and sighed. The mental back and forth in his mind settled for the first time since the words were spoken. He followed his own advice and put his heart into overdrive. No matter how worried he was about Parker's attachment, he couldn't deny the sight in front of him.

He was looking at family. _His _family. If there was one thing he knew, it was that you couldn't control family. If Parker wanted to call her…mommy, then he wouldn't stand in his way. It wasn't his choice. Deep down, Booth finally let himself feel what he'd been trying to ignore. _Goodnight Mommy. Goodnight Baby._ He loved hearing those words.

Brennan approached him and left a foot of space between their bodies when she sat. Not a word was spoken. The merry-go-round fired up and the atmosphere was overcome with the sound of cheerful music and happy children calling out to parents. Parker waved in their direction the first time he circled past them.

When his son became entranced with the ride, Booth found the courage to ask the question that had been teasing him all day. "When did it start?" His voice was sturdy and clear.

His sudden, ambiguous question confused her. "When did what start?"

"Parker calling you…what he called you last night." Booth clarified though he shied away from the exact word.

"I'm not sure of the exact time he began to call me Bones, but I assume when he heard you refer to me that way." She answered to the best of her knowledge.

Booth let out a frustrated breath. "Not Bones." He closed the space between them; his brown eyes pierced her light blues. "Last night after Parker woke up form that nightmare, you came to bed and right before you both fell asleep, he said…goodnight mommy and you said goodnight baby."

Brennan's internal need for distance manifested itself when she moved away from him. "We said that?"

"You don't remember?" He asked incredulously.

Her stoic expression gave nothing away. "I was extremely tired last night, more than I thought." She looked at the merry-go-round and then focused on the ground. "I-I'm sorry."

He could practically see the brick wall going up around her. Her voice was steady, but he could still pick up on her panic. "Whoa, Bones, relax. I'm not angry. I just thought that it had been going on and I didn't know."

Without looking at him, she responded, "He's never said that before. It won't happen again, Booth. I'll tell him it's inappropriate."

Booth reached over and took her hand in his. The gesture forced her attention back to him. "It's not inappropriate."

"Of course it is, Booth. All of it was. I'm not sure why I used the term of endearment, but I apologize."

"You don't have to apologize for that. It's okay." He assured. Truthfully, he had no problem with what she had said.

"No, it isn't. I'm not…I'm not his mother." Her voice hitched when she spoke.

The father felt his heart twist by the fact that she could hardly get the words out. "Maybe not biologically, but over the past seven months you have been exactly what a mother should be, Bones." The music from the children's ride silenced. He knew Parker would be running over to them in just a second. "I shouldn't have brought this up here. I'm sorry. We'll finish this conversation later."

She nodded in agreement and was quiet while she composed herself. Finally she spoke, "He thought you were mad because you didn't make monkey sounds."

Booth gave her a genuine smile. "We'll swing by the apes one more time before we leave."

(-)

"Ok, now remember to keep your water wings tight on your arms. If you feel them pop or get lose, you call me." Booth warned his son while slipping the inflatable safety devices onto his tiny biceps. "And don't jump in too close to the edge." Parker nodded and dived into the pool the moment his armbands were secure.

After their long day of sightseeing, the trio decided to relax in the indoor swimming area of the hotel. Parker chose to take a dip the large pool while the adults chose to unwind in the hot tub adjacent to it. Booth watched his son quickly make friends with two other children. The boy and girl were being watched by their parents and he had a clear view of the entire area from the jacuzzi, so he had no reason to worry. When he set his towel down on a plastic chair, he watched Brennan do the same.

From the time of their conversation earlier that afternoon, she had regressed to her guarded self. She faked a level of enthusiasm to keep Parker in the dark about her sudden changed mood. Booth guessed that she hoped she could fool him as well, but he knew her far too well. Her real smile and fake smile were day and night to him, totally different and easily distinguishable.

He slipped out of his flip flops, but his movements stilled when her hands went to the hem of her sundress.

In one swift move she pulled the material over her head. The sinful two piece bathing suit she wore wasn't one of those trashy, string bikinis like the women in Sport Illustrated. It was reddish purple like an aged, fine wine. The top was halter style and the bottoms were just as simple. It had a sporty presence, but his mouth still watered like a dog desperate for water on a hot day.

She didn't seem to notice his reaction because she tied her hair up and stepped into the bubbling water without a glance in his direction. Booth refocused and stripped himself of his tee shirt before getting in. They sat facing the pool and watched Parker splash around. The father let his head fall back against the edge. He closed his eyes and soaked in the feeling of the warm bubbles massaging his body. He didn't think anything could feel better until his sixth sense picked up on a pair of eyes staring in his direction.

Despite her inner tension about what Booth had told her, Brennan couldn't keep her eyes off him. She knew everything about the human physique and Booth's was truly magnificent. His pectorals were well defined. His shoulders, she had always loved their wide expansion. The muscles of his arms were toned but not too big. Physically he was perfect.

She lost track of the world around her while she gaped at him until his voice broke the trance. "Like what you see, Bones?" He laughed and lifted his head back up.

Shyly, she looked away with feelings resembling a teenage girl who had been caught staring in class. She took a breath to regain composure. "You know that I think you're structured well."

His eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance. "You're blushing." He teased.

With confidence she met his gaze. "I am not. We're sitting in a hot tub, Booth. I'm just-"

"Hot?" He finished. With gathered bravery, his appreciative eyes raked her body up and down, making sure he was obvious just to rile her up. "I agree with you there."

Her lips parted at his blatant flirting. A smug grin crept onto his face. Instead of calling him out on his behavior, she just smiled.

Both of them watched Parker swim for a few minutes. Brennan's unsure voice finally cut into the silence. "I don't want to disappoint him."

Booth turned to find an expression looking back at him that could only be compared to a terrified little girl. He suppressed the overwhelming desire to wrap his arms around her and never let go. The water splashed around his body when he scooted closer to his partner. "Bones, you haven't ever disappointed Parker in all the time you've known him."

"Because I've only ever been Bones to him!" Her tone was a bit unnerved, but she kept it low enough not to cause a scene. "He knows me as his father's partner. He expects me to act according to that role. If he's changed the way he thinks of me then he'll expect more." She almost broke his heart as she voiced her vulnerability. "I can't be a mother to him, Booth. I don't know how."

His eyes widened at her admission. That was the reason she didn't want him to call her mommy? Not because of her personal feelings about having children, but because she was worried about Parker being let down? "You don't know how? Bones, yes you do. You take care of him like he's the most precious thing on Earth. You've stepped up morning, noon, and night for us. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have be his mother."

"Besides Rebecca."

Brennan knew what bringing _her_ up would do to him. He had the same reaction every time: clenched jaw, tight lips, and darkened eyes. Though the scientist knew Booth seethed about her often, it was rare that the blonde was brought up in conversation,

"No, not Rebecca. She might have given birth to him, but she is not his mother. A mother doesn't leave her child without even a warning."

"Mine did." She retorted.

"To keep you safe not because of a selfish, immature desire to live the life she missed out on." Booth wouldn't let her argue her way out of this. "All a mother has to do is love their child, Bones. It's the little things you do, like the way you make sure to hold his hand when you cross the street and how you comfort him in the middle of the night when he has a bad dream that proves that you love him, that you can be a great mother."

Brennan absorbed his words and replied, "I trust you, Booth. I trust what you say, but I still don't know if I can be enough for the both of you."

He couldn't ignore the urge any longer. His strong arm came up from the water and draped itself over her shoulders. To his delight, she leaned into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her hair and whispered, "Take all the time you need, Bones. What he wants to call you, it's you and Parker's decision, but you know how I feel." Booth felt her nod against him.

He took a deep breath. "This thing is pretty relaxing. One of us should get one when we go home." He spoke in regard to the bubbling tub they were in.

"That would be pointless since we both live in apartments." Brennan replied.

Booth didn't think before the words casually slipped through his lips. "Maybe we'll change that one day."

Before Brennan could comprehend his words, Parker yelled from his place on the diving board. "Daddy! Mommy! Watch!" He ran down the ramp, jumped with all his might and cannon balled into the water.

_THREE MONTHS EARLIER_

_Booth collected all the energy he had to unlock the door of his apartment. It was only 9 pm, but a case had kept him awake for at least 35 hours. He was desperate for sleep. Once he opened the door, he dropped his keys on the coffee table and threw his jacket over the back of the couch._

_Realizing that the living room was empty, he sauntered down the hall and pushed his son's bedroom door open. A lazy grin spread from cheek to cheek when he found Parker lying against his partner, who was resting against the headboard of the twin child's bed. Her head was titled a little to the right so she had a clear view over his shoulder, to the book that lay in his lap._

_They looked up at him simultaneously. He imagined that the two smiles they greeted him with were the work of angels. Nothing less could conjure such brilliance. "Hi daddy." Parker spoke, on the verge of falling asleep._

_"Hey bub." He returned, stepping into the room. "Were you good today?"_

_"He was very well behaved." Brennan assured him. "Did the case end in your favor?" She was always curious about his work that didn't involve her._

_"I'll find out tomorrow but it better. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that piece of trash was free." Booth sat on the end of the bed. He felt her feet under the blanket against his hip._

_"From what you told me, I doubt Caroline will fail in court." She pulled her arms from under Parker and glimpsed at her watch. "It's late. I should go." Carefully, she extracted herself from the bed and let Parker fall back against the mattress. "I'll see you after school tomorrow." She kissed him on the forehead. "Goodnight."_

_"Night, Bones." The boy replied, snuggling his head into his pillow._

_"Thanks for watching him." Booth told her._

_"It was my pleasure. I'll be sure to lock the door on my way out." With that, she walked out of the bedroom._

_Booth listened to her move through his home until the front door clicked shut. He moved forward so he had a better view of his son. "Did you have a good day?" He asked in a hushed voice, brushing his dirty blonde hair form his eyes._

_"Uh-huh, Angela showed me how to make pictures on her computer and then she went with me and Bones to get pizza for dinner." Parker told him smiling._

_"Sounds awesome, buddy. Did you say your prayers?"_

_"Yup. Bones listened and said I did 'em right."_

_The father should have been more surprised because of his partner's beliefs about their religion, but lately she had turned a blind eye when it came to Parker and simply did what made them both happy._

_"Good job." He kissed his cheek. "Sweet dreams, buddy. I'll see you in the morning."_

_Before Booth stood up, Parker's sleepy voice asked, "Is she my new mommy?"_

_Thinking he misheard, he shifted to look straight at him. "What?"_

_"Is Bones my new mommy?"_

_"No, of course not." He denied, although the idea struck a nerve in him that was incredibly open to the concept._

_"Oh." Parker sighed._

_Booth was confused. Was that discontent he heard in his voice? "No one is ever going to try to be your new mommy, but Bones does love you. You know that right?" Parker nodded. "Alright, now go to sleep. Goodnight, bub."_

_"Night daddy."_

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_Good? Bad? Needed more (insert what you want here)? Let me know!_

_And since you've all been so great here's a little info for next chapter: BB bring up the 'mommy' thing to Parker and we get to see how this week of seperation will work ;)_


	10. Chapter 10

_This is getting redundant but I don't care. You guys are so awesome! I'm glad you like the story so much! This chapter really didn't want to be written, but I made it happen. I hope you like it :)_

_P.S. I enable reviews from users without FF accounts, so if you're a loyal reader anonymous reader, please drop me a line to see if it was necessary._

* * *

"Where are we gunna go?" Parker excitedly inquired as Brennan pulled his shirt down his torso. Booth had stepped out to the nearest pharmacy to purchase a new toothbrush after Parker used his to remove dirt from his shoes. Because of the father's absence, the task of dressing him fell on the scientist, but his enthusiasm for their upcoming tourism was making it more difficult than usual. The child had given the partners a rambunctious wake-up call at 6 o'clock that morning by bouncing up and down on the bed. He was a handful during breakfast as well. The adults assumed he would act that way for the day's duration.

"We're going to visit the Willis Tower, the tallest building in North America. It used to be known as the Sears Tower." Brennan informed while motioning for him to sit on mattress. He hopped up and held his feet out so she could slip on his sneakers. She squatted down and tied the laces into precise double knots. "After that we'll eat lunch and then go to the Chicago Children's Museum."

Parker nodded, shaking his wild hair he hadn't sat still long enough for anyone to brush yet. "What about after that?" He asked despite already knowing the answer.

Brennan sighed. "Then you and daddy are going to get on your plane to Philadelphia."

Before she could stand upright, his voice sounded. "Don't you want to come with us?"

She placed her hands on the comforter, one on either side of his body. Her position kept her eye level with the kindergartener. "I'm sure I'd enjoy myself if I went with you, but I have to work this week at the college we visited."

His energetic mood suddenly subsided. Brennan would have been thankful is the frown that quickly found its place on his lips didn't make her heart clench. "It won't be fun without you."

"I'm sure you'll have so much fun with daddy and your family that you won't even notice I'm not there." She deflected his sudden reluctance to their arrangement with a defensive maneuver Booth taught her long ago. Making children believe the positive side of things would outweigh any negative was a wonderful way to sidetrack their thoughts.

His small fingers reached for the blue stone hanging from her necklace. A small dolphin was carved into the smoothed rock. Booth had purchased it for her from the zoo gift shop the day before. "Nuh-uh, it's funner when you're with us."

"More fun." Brennan corrected.

The boy was growing more frustrated with every deflective word she spoke. "Your just gunna play with more bones. That's what you do at the Jeff'sonian for your job. We're sposta be on vacation. Daddy said we're gunna go have special family time so _you have to come_." His unyielding tone highlighted the desire within her to give in to him, but she knew this wasn't a time when she could back down.

Re-gaining control of the situation, she gently removed her necklace from his hand, careful not to break it, and firmly stated, "Parker, I can't."

His method of persuasion suddenly morphed from adamant to desperate. His flung himself forward and wrapped his arms around her neck. Brennan moved her foot backwards slightly to keep from falling. Two pecks on her cheeks from his baby soft lips were followed by a whisper in her ear. "Please mommy?"

It took all her strength to ignore the burst of affection that exploded within her. Brennan removed the boy's limbs from her collar. His chocolate irises pleaded with her to concede to his wishes. "I think we need to have a very important conversation."

His button nose wrinkled. "Conver-what-sin?"

"A talk." Brennan clarified while standing up. She sat on the mattress and crossed her legs Indian style. Parker turned ninety degrees and did the same. Her hands went to his knees and rubbed them comfortingly. "Parker there's something you and I have in common. We're both very honest, with others and each other. So if I ask you a question, I expect an honest answer, okay?" She could tell he was wary of the discussion, but he shook his head affirmatively. "Why have you started to call me mommy?"

His eyes widened and then darted downward to stare at their legs. It was obvious that he wasn't expecting those words. A long moment passed without a response until he finally spoke. "I'm not allowed am I?" He dejectedly asked with his head hanging.

"I will answer that question after you answer mine." Brennan directly replied. Parker played with a thread on his jeans. The woman knew she shouldn't push him but she didn't want to speak about this in front of Booth who would be walking back into their hotel room any minute. He had told her the issue was between she and his son, and she quickly realized she wanted it to stay that way. "Please, talk to me, Parker."

Her encouragement was enough to loosen his lips. "I know mommy's a special word…and I'm only sposta use it with my real mommy…but she didn't want to be my mommy anymore. You've been my mommy since she went away, Bones, so that's what I wanna call you." She knew that she should expect a simple explanation. He was only five after all, but the true simplicity of the concept made all the sense in the world to her. Parker lost his mother and was trying to re-fill that gaping void.

"I understand." She told him. "Can I tell you a secret?" He nodded and she re-adjusted preparing to disclose something very personal. "When I was 15 my mommy went away just like yours did. I was older than you are but I still felt very sad. There were a few women who tried to take care of me after that. They all wanted to be my new mommy, but I wouldn't let them. Do you know why?" His head shook. "Because a mommy is someone that can never be replaced. I won't ever be a replacement, Parker…" His chin shook a little. It was obvious that he thought she was rejecting his term for her. "But I would love to be another mommy."

His jaw dropped slightly in surprise and his eyes began to mist. "You would?"

Brennan felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. She placed her hands on both sides of his face. Her thumbs wiped away the moisture on his cheeks. "If you want me as your mother, than that's exactly what I'll be."

Parker crawled into her lap and hugged her tightly. "I want you to be my mommy forever even when I'm grown up and you and daddy are old like Pops."

Brennan grimaced. She didn't know what part of that visual she didn't want more, Parker as a grown man or an elderly version of herself and Booth.

The newly declared mother and son sat in the same position until the turning door handle to the hotel room caught their attention. Booth strode into the room with a plastic bag in his hand and their room key in the other. "Alright, dad's teeth are safe. One quick stop at the sink and-" The FBI Agent stopped when he saw his son curled around his partner with red, puffy eyes. "What happened?"

"Bones is gunna be my mommy now!" His son elatedly informed.

Booth felt his breath catch in his throat. He almost pinched himself. Could it be happening? Could his fantasy have turned into reality…while he was busy buying a toothbrush? He couldn't conceal his happiness. The signature grin that emerged on his face almost hurt it was so wide. "Really?"

Brennan smiled at him, pleased by his delight. "Really." She confirmed.

"Aren't you happy daddy? Now you're the only one who calls her Bones." Parker giggled.

Booth laughed at his child. He walked over to him and lifted him up under the arms to hold him. "I'm very happy, bub." He leaned over and kissed Brennan on her cheek. "For both of you."

Brennan took a deep breath. A mix of emotions washed over her. She felt a new sense of responsibility that was paralyzing, but empowering at the same time. Also, she felt more important than at any other time in her life. To know that there was a child, another human being looking to her for guidance, protection, and support was overwhelming. Dozens of thoughts and sensations raced through her mind. She didn't understand them all, but she knew she felt good, better than she ever had.

(-)

"Let's go daddy! The plane will take off without us!" Parker pulled his father by the hand as they strolled through the airport.

"Parker, we've got almost an hour before take-off, we won't miss it." Booth calmed his son, trying to avoid him making a scene in front of a crowd.

Unlike the flight a couple of days ago, the father and son's departure to Philadelphia was scheduled for the evening. Booth hoped his son would enjoy being in the sky for about twenty minutes before falling asleep the rest of the way. His cousin was enlisted to greet them and drive to the home of Booth's aunt, where they'd be staying for the next week. Once there, they'd go right to bed and start the family-oriented adventure bright and early the next morning.

Brennan stepped in sync with them through the building, but unlike her two boys, she didn't carry a boarding pass or suitcase. After her discussion with Parker, their day progressed perfectly. The five year old was as energetic as they predicted, but they attributed that to their newly altered family dynamic. The family enjoyed themselves while sightseeing and experiencing the best of Chicago. Pictures were taken. Gifts were bought. It was wonderful and, for the scientist, served as an excellent distracter for the despondency that would come in just a few minutes.

They walked as far as they could as a trio until an ugly "Only Passengers Beyond This Point" sign flashed in their faces. Booth tugged Parker's hand. "Bones can't go past here, bub. Time to say bye." He stuck to using his coined nickname for her, believing that it was still early for him to refer to her as his mother.

The boy frowned, but he held his composure. "Are you sure you can't come with us?" He had to be sure.

Brennan smiled at his last ditch attempt. "I'm sure."

"They need her here to take care of those bones. Besides, what would we do with her the Phillies games?" Booth teased, keeping them from getting too emotional, too soon.

"Yeah, me and daddy gotta have guy time and that's no fun for girls." Parker agreed.

Brennan bent down to be eye level with him. "You're right. Go have guy time." She hugged the child goodbye.

He pulled away from their embrace first but his forearms stayed loosely around her neck when he quietly asked, "You'll call before bedtime?"

"Every night." She promised.

"Ok." Parker hugged her once more and kissed her cheek. "Bye mommy, love you." He murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

He had worked the title into conversation all day and it warmed her heart the same every time she heard it. "I love you, too." Brennan told him as he stepped aside so the senior Booth could say farewell. "Call me when you arrive." She insisted.

Booth smiled, knowing she didn't mean for her words to sound like such a demand. "It'll be late."

"I don't care. I won't be asleep." _Until I know you're both safe, _she added in her mind.

"I'll call, text, even send you some pictures." She nodded, pleased with his terms. "You go and do your squint thing, but if any of those hoity-toity professors give you a hard time tell them they're going to have one angry FBI Agent and tough little kid to deal with."

His humorous attempt was interrupted when Parker whine, "Daddy, just kiss her bye so we can go!"

Both adults awkwardly stiffened at his command. A shy smile was exchanged between them as was the understanding that Parker was just a kid who didn't know any better. Booth's muscular arms opened slightly and Brennan automatically moved forward to lean into him. Their 'guy hug' quickly turned into something more amorous when she felt Booth's stubble on the side of her face as he turned his face closer to hers. He placed a chaste kiss on her temple and as if that wasn't enough to bring her to her knees, his voice suddenly sounded in her ear. "I think your son is going to start playing matchmaker." Booth softly spoke. He felt her tremble in his arms evidently touched by his words.

Their hug broke and he could still see how affected she was by the look in her eyes. They were a shade of blue he couldn't ever remember seeing before. His cocky side was pleased with itself for having such an impact.

Brennan recognized that pride in his expression. Never one to letothers have the last word, she replied, "One step at a time." That arrogance quickly deflated, but it wasn't enough. She was feeling that materal confident so she took it further by placing her hand on his right cheek. Before Booth knew what was happening, she pressed her lips sweetly to his. The connection didn't last long enough for him to kiss her back. She only applied a little pressure before pulling back with a content smile. "Have a good flight." She wished him bon voyage as if nothing had happened.

Booth rewarded her wish a charm smile. Words weren't necessary. That kiss said all the goodbye he needed. It said 'see you soon,' like one a long time couple would share on their way out of the front door in the morning. The FBI agent just nodded and stepped away from her, grabbing his suitcase handle in one hand and his son's palm in the other.

Brennan watched the pair stride towards the entrance to the security checkpoint. Parker turned his head and waved to her. She hid her sadness expertly while returning the gesture. Booth never looked back however. The scientist smirked, knowing that he was probably still reeling from their lip lock. She didn't know why though. It wasn't the first or even the second time it had happened.

_Three Months Earlier_

_Brennan stubbornly kept her eyelids from falling shut as she shifted on Booth's uncomfortable couch. She had been awake over 24 hours, helping tend to Parker who was suffering from a relentless ear infection. The child continuously asked her not to leave despite his father's presence. The adults took turns trying to ease his pain but he had refused to sleep all day._

_Booth slowly stepped from his bedroom into the living room. His shirt was wrinkled and had a purple stain from accidentally spilling Parker's grade flavored children's Tylenol on himself. His hair stuck up in several places. Brennan would have laughed at his appearance if she didn't look just as bad herself. Her neatly done hair had fallen hours ago and it now hung to the side of her neck in a loose bun. One button on her blouse was somehow missing and her jeans were still damp from attempting to bathe the boy._

_"Is he asleep?" She mumbled while lifting her feet so he could collapse on the opposite end of the couch._

_Booth nodded and reached to drape her calves across his lap, knowing how desperate she was for comfort. "Yeah, a half eaten bowl of chicken noodle, one dose of medicine, three ear drops, and half an hour of holding a warm wash cloth over his ear, later, thank god."_

_"God had nothing to do with it." She replied rubbing a hand over her tired eyes._

_Booth sighed and let his head fall back against the cushions. Even sleep deprivation didn't cease the hits to his religion. "I never thought this would happen, but I'm actually too tired to argue with you."_

_Brennan pulled herself from her lying position reluctantly. "I should go."_

_The father's head turned, but remained rested against the couch. "What? No way, Bones. You're too tired to drive."_

_"I'm fine, Booth. My apartment isn't that far."_

_"Didn't I just say I was too tired to argue?" He whined, very much sounding like his son._

_"I'm not arguing, just stating a fact." She retorted._

_"And that fact doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't drive so exhausted. You're sleeping here." He reached over and grabbed her car keys from the coffee table and put them in his pant's pocket._

_Brennan rolled her eyes at his alpha male antics. Objectively, she knew the average person shouldn't drive in her state, but she all her late nights at the labs had made her used to it. "Booth, do you honestly think that I won't go into your pocket to get my keys?"_

_He gave her an odd look. "Seriously?"_

_Actions spoke louder than words. Brennan pulled her legs back to her so she could rock forward. Her hand instantly went to his waist, feeling for an opening._

_"WHOA!" Booth instantly put his hands on her shoulders to try to push her away. It wasn't that he didn't like her so close, but her grabby hands were a little too close to Seeley Jr. who hadn't had any real action since Seeley senior took on his son full time. "Warn a guy next time, Bones."_

_"If you wouldn't have stolen my keys there wouldn't be a problem." Brennan threw back and reached for the other side of his waist, not remembering if he put the keys in his left or right pocket. During her search, she had swung one knee over his thighs, straddling him. Finally, her hand met metal and she pulled the silver keys out with a smug grin._

_The second her eyes met his however, she realized he had stopped caring about the keys and was totally focused on her body that pressed against his. The scientist didn't know how to diffuse the situation. She considered a quick goodbye but was suddenly at a loss for words when a warm hand landed on her side, just at the place where her torso became her hip._

_"Stay." His husky voice pleaded._

_Her lips parted knowing that he didn't ask because he was worried about her energy level. "Booth, I-"_

_"Please." The way her messy hair framed her face, the way her missing button allowed for her shirt to hang open just enough to tease him, the way her pelvis was perfectly fitted again his…he felt control slipping away._

_Without another word, he leaned upward to capture her lips in a desperate kiss. He moved the hand already on her around, to his spot on the small of her back. The action pushed her harder against him forcing a pleasing moan to reverberate in his throat. The other worked its way north to cup her gorgeous face._

_For a moment, Booth thought he actually had fell victim to sleep because he realized she her lips were moving at her own will on his. All logic had disappeared from her mind. The only conscious thought she had was simple. More._

_More of his lips, his hands, his scent. She reached around to the back of his head and threaded her fingers through the short hair there. The hunger of their kiss fervently grew when she felt his tongue glide across her lips, begging for access. Eagerly, she granted it and whimpered at the sensation of him learning the contours of her mouth with the talented muscle._

_Just as Booth was trying to gather the strength to separate from her mouth to attempt tasting the flesh on her neck, a cry came from the back of his apartment._

_"Daddy!"_

_The word shocked them both back into reality. Their mouths pull apart with a resounding pop. Brown eyes stared into blue eyes for what felt like the longest second of both of their lives until Parker called for him again. "DADDY!"_

_Brennan moved off of his lap and Booth sprang up, casting an "I'll be right back" in her direction._

_The father went to Parker only to find that he had dropped his teddy bear on the floor and didn't want to get up to get it. He knew the sickness was what made him needy so he gladly retrieved the stuffed animal. Booth readjusted the warm cloth over his child's ear and kissed him before walking back out to find his living room empty._

_Fifteen minutes later, Booth was lying in bed when his phone beeped. He opened the device to find one new text message from Bones._

_'Home.'_

* * *

_For all of your loving the Parker/Brennan fluff...there you go :) And for all of you who were begging for some BB action...THERE YOU GO :D _

_Good? Bad? Want more? Want less? Let me know!_


	11. Chapter 11

I never thought I'd get so many reviews for that last chapter! I LOVE YOU GUYS! In return here is an EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA LONG CHAPTER. If you don't like it, I apologize, but I got carried away.

Be warned: This is a very Parker light/ BB HEAVY chapter, but I had to establish what was going on in their relationship.

AND TO MY AMAZING, FANTASTIC, PERFECT BONES SOULMATE...I LOVE YOU KIMMY AND I COULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN THIS WITHOUT YOU!

* * *

In the past nine years that Brennan had worked at the Jeffersonian, she had never missed it so much. As she leaned over the metal table examining the ancient remains, she longed for the laboratory that she considered her true home. Surly, the scientist didn't like being away from the rest of the squints, but it wasn't just the people she missed. The Jeffersonian was one of the most prestigious institutes in the world and it had the resources to match. In D.C. she worked with the best tools, the best team, in the best environment. Here at Northwestern she was expected to work to the best of her ability with mediocre equipment, incompetent assistants in a room without windows, under fading fluorescent lighting.

Brennan knew the reason why the remains were sent here and not to her glorious lab. Dr. Blake had been leading the dig where the skeletons were recovered before returning last fall to instruct his college courses. She didn't want to believe such favoritism existed in her world of science but she wasn't ignorant to reality. It wasn't reasonable that she was forced to work in less than favorable conditions. This discovery, however, would be acknowledged by anthropologists everywhere and providing an identity to the set of bones would no doubt solidify her status as the best in her field.

Fortunately, that goal was very close to being accomplished. She'd been working from morning until the late hours of the night for the past four days. Her colleagues for the week would suggest she take longer breaks, but none of them were as stubborn as Booth when it came to making her rest, so she easily dismissed their concern.

Dr. Garret Blake was the only person to notice when she would independently choose to pull herself away from their work.

Every evening at exactly 8:00 pm, he'd watch Dr. Brennan step away to a secluded area of the area of their work space and pull out her cell phone. He hadn't figured out who she called ever day like clockwork. His natural curiosity of course spiked at the mystery. All he knew was that the doctor would always laugh during this time. She never did at any other time even when a genuinely funny joke was told by someone on his team. Each night she would return to work with a content smile as well. It was the only time he saw her display real emotion.

The two doctors worked in silence, until Brennan glanced at her watch and straightened her back, moving away from the table. "Dr. Blake, if you'd excuse…"

"Phone call." He interrupted with a knowing look. "Take your time. I think I'll take a break myself."

She nodded and walked to a lounge area on the opposite end of the room. It reminded her slightly of their lounge at the Jeffersonian. On a counter were a coffee machine and a small refrigerator. There was a coffee table was surrounded by a couch and couple chairs in front of it.

Garret watched out of the corner of his eye as she pulled out her cell phone, held down one button, and lifted it to her ear. The secrecy was beginning to bother him. He had no intention of prying, but unlike almost every scientist he's worked with, he knew literally nothing about Dr. Brennan's home life. He decided to investigate.

Dr. Blake pulled his latex gloves off and quietly approached the refrigerator to retrieve a bottle of water. He casually unscrewed the cap and took a few sips, trying to appear oblivious to the world around him. The proximity between him and Brennan was smaller than most nights during her conversation, so he picked up on a few words.

"Daddy did what...I'm glad you had fun…I hope I can meet them one day…It's past your bedtime…Yes, you are tired…I believe I just heard a yawn…Same time tomorrow…I miss you, too…Just one more day…Goodnight, baby."

Garret's interest skyrocketed. His first guess was that Brennan had been sneaking off to call a boyfriend, seeing as she wore no wedding ring and hadn't changed her name since she was publishing papers in the very university they were standing in. Now, however, he had a very good idea of who was on the other side of that line.

Brennan returned back to their work without a look in his direction. He drank more water and checked his own phone for any missed calls or messages from his wife. After that, he re-joined her at the table. His green eyes glanced upward to see that content smile playing her lips just like their previous nights. They worked in silence for a few minutes before he spoke, "Dr. Brennan?"

"Yes, Dr. Blake?" She replied, without breaking eye contract from a delicate femur.

"I couldn't help but overhear the last bit of that conversation and I know we aren't here to discuss our personal lives, but I'm surprised you never mentioned you had a child."

His words were enough to pull her attention from the bone. Her head snapped upward and she met his kind expression. "I…" Brennan was at a loss for words. She was never one to lie. Truthfully, she didn't thinks he was capable of actually saying she didn't have a child. As of a few days ago, she was a mother. She had spent the last new nights lying awake, marveled by the concept that she, Dr. Temperance Brennan, was somebody's mother. Despite knowing the truth, she didn't want to feed into the incorrect picture in Dr. Blake's mind. He wouldn't understand without a lengthy explanation and now was not the time to share such personal information. "Because I don't." her half-fib left her feeling uneasy. It was like she was hiding what she now was and that wasn't right.

Garret was surprised. "Forgive me for the assumption. I just hope it wasn't an adult you were talking to about bedtimes." He chuckled while carefully removing a sample of the dust that lightly covered the remains.

"It wasn't" She spoke honestly, before changing the subject. "I'd like to send some of these x-rays to my team at the Jeffersonian. They're expertise will be extremely helpful."

(*)

The next night, Brennan tossed and turned in the hotel room's large bed. She realized the night after Booth and Parker had flown to Philadelphia that it was too big for just one person. The scientist stared up at the ceiling and focused on breathing slowly in and out, hoping that sleep would take her. Twenty minutes later, she gave up on the technique. She felt extremely anxious. This time tomorrow she'd be done with the project. The identities of the remains were confirmed and paperwork was the final step to complete before she could part ways with Dr. Blake's team. By this time, she'll also have her boys back.

Her boys.

The sense of possessiveness she felt was irrational. A case could be argued as to why she would feel overprotective for Parker. He was a young child who she was responsible for. He was hers to care for. Booth however was a different story. Brennan knew she had no right to claim him. All her adult life she looked down upon men and women who would claim that their significant other was 'theirs.' Her core belief was that one person could not own another. She never accepted that one person could be another person's everything.

Until now.

Her brain and her heart, no matter how metaphorical it may be, were at odds end. She couldn't call them her boys. But she was sure they wouldn't object to it. Booth didn't belong to her. But she couldn't even picture him with anyone else. They weren't even a couple. But they acted like it. She didn't want Booth to think he owned her. But would it be so bad being his?

The mental back and forth was wearing her down. How could she be a proper mother and be so unsure of herself at the same time? She couldn't. She had to decide once and for all what she wanted. It was time to make a choice. The choice. Brain or heart.

A sudden electronic beeping distracted her thoughts. The front screen of her phone shined brightly with the word Booth written in bold letters. Late night phones calls normally meant one of two things: there was a case or something bad had happened. Since she knew it couldn't be the first, she panicked.

Flipping open the device she spoke like rapid fire into the receiver. "What's wrong?"

"Whoa, calm down, Bones. Everything's fine."

Brennan breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed into her pillow. She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself if something had happened and she wasn't there. "Booth, it's almost eleven o'clock. Why are you calling?"

"Can I just say I missed your voice?" He teased.

With a roll of her eyes, she replied, "You talked to me three hours ago so that's very unlikely."

"Alright, I do have a reason for calling. My cousin Renee came in to town when she heard Parker and I were coming. She lives in Des Moines and on her way back home she's bringing her three kids to this water park in Pittsburg, called SoakZone or something like that. Anyway, she asked if she could bring Parker." He paused, expecting a retort. When she made no noise, he continued, "She offered to drop him in Chicago on the drive back to Iowa since it's on the way. What do you think?"

Brennan had to admit she was disappointed that she'd have to spend another day away from Parker, but she knew this opportunity to bond with his family was one he needed. "I think that Parker would enjoy that. As long as you trust your cousin with him, I think it's a pleasant idea."

Booth almost scoffed. Of course he could trust family. He almost said the words until he remember his partner's experience with her own family. "Yeah, Bones. She's pretty good with him."

"Then I think it'd be wise to let him go." She replied, before another possibility crossed her mind. "Will you stay another night in Philadelphia?"

"Oh, no. I don't really want to pay the money to change my flight. It'll cost enough to cancel Parker's ticket and before you say anything, you're not paying for it. We already decided that Philadelphia was my thing."

"I wasn't going to object, Booth." Brennan softly spoke.

"You miss me don't you?"

She could practically hear the cocky grin emerge on his face. "I do not miss you." The good-hearted lie didn't affect her near as much as her lie earlier that day.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Well I miss you." Booth held his breath waiting for her reply. When she did, her words were far from what he expected.

"Booth, why did you ask me what I thought about letting Parker go to that water park?"

"I guess I just…thought I'd run it by you, you know, before I gave him my answer." The uncharacteristic hesitation in his voice surprised her.

"You're more than capable to make that decision on your own." Brennan stated plainly.

"I know, Bones, but things are different now. You and me…we're different now. We're supposed to make these decisions together."

Brennan felt her breath catch in her throat. The feeling she'd been experiencing the past week crashed over her, more powerful than ever, this special feeling that she couldn't have even dreamed about before. "Thank you for thinking of me, Booth." The combination of his overwhelming consideration and her lack of sleep quickly produced the stinging sensation of impending tears behind her eyes. She squeezed them shut before they escaped.

"You're welcome, Bones." He was silent for a moment as he listened to the sound of her breathing. "You need to get some sleep. I can hear how exhausted you are. I bet you're working non-stop, aren't you?"

"I am working as much as needed." She countered. "But I am quite tired."

"I'll let you go then. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Booth."

"Night, Bones."

(*)

Brennan maneuvered through the busy airport in record time. She weaved in and out of crowds of travelers, determined to get to the gate Booth would arrive at as soon as possible. Dr. Blake had kept her longer than expected and there was a horrible back up on the highway. The scientist had driven into the parking garage at the exact time the plane was scheduled to land. She practically ran her way through the building and opted for the stairs instead of riding the slow escalator. Her eyes connected with the electronic board listing all the airports flights.

Arrivals-American Airlines-Philadelphia, PA- Landed

Checking her watch she saw that ten minutes had passed since the plane's arrival time. She cursed inwardly, knowing that he'd probably already gotten off the plane. He'd sent her a text message earlier explaining how he was changed his ticket to first class since he canceled Parker's. She glanced around the area, trying to spot anything familiar, dark hair, broad shoulders, ones of those beloved jackets he wore on a regular basis.

Brennan glanced again at the board and decided to look for him at the baggage claim designated to his flight. She pushed past other bodies, probably irritating many people, but she didn't care. All she could think about was Booth walking off his plane to find no one waiting for him.

She found the carousel of bags moments later but was once again unsuccessful in her search for her partner. Bags were just being loaded onto the conveyor system so she decided to stay put and wait. He'd have to come here eventually.

(*)

Booth saw Brennan before she saw him. He had stopped by the men's room before finding his way to place to collect his luggage. He had been wondering why Bones hadn't greeted him at the gate. They never agreed that she'd meet him, he'd just assumed.

To his delight, when he strode past the other carousels, he'd stopped his partner standing about five yards away from him, facing the crowd of his fellow passengers. He could see her head slightly moving back and forth. He smiled, realizing that she was looking for him.

Utilizing his sniper training, he quietly approached her, careful to stay out of her line of vision. He knew he was taking a chance doing what he was about to do. It would end well or with a black eye. When he was only a few feet from her he quickened his step and before she could sense anyone behind her, he stepped directly behind her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and planted a kiss to her temple.

(*)

Brennan tensed the second she felt someone touch her but when she recognized the familiar scent of his aftershave, she calmed and leaned into his embrace as his lips touched her.

"Hey, Bones." He whispered in her ear.

"Hi." Brenna replied, turning around to find a charm smile staring her in eye. They moved their arms simultaneously into one of their 'guy hugs.' "I'm sorry." She spoke, with her chin resting on his shoulder.

Booth pulled back with a confusion ridden expression. "For what?"

"For not being here sooner. I wanted to greet you at your gate but there was very heavy traffic going into the city." She explained apologetically.

Booth raised one hand to brush her hair behind her ear, hoping the gesture would rid her of remorse. "It's no big deal. I never said you had to meet me."

"But I wanted to. Angela has surprised me several times when I've come home after a trip and it always felt good to see a familiar face. I wanted to do the same for you." Brennan admitted.

He could see the pink flush on her cheeks, a telltale sign of embarrassment. "Tell you what, how about you have dinner with me to make up for it?"

"Will you let me pay?" She challenged.

"Only if you're good." He joked. "Now let's get my bag and blow this pop stand."

"I don't know what that means."

(*)

"Anyway, my aunt was kind of sick all week, so last night I was filling up the humidifier for her when Parker walks up to the bathroom door and asked what I was doing. I told her it would help clear up her sinuses and then he says, 'Dad, how is she supposed to fit that up her nose?'" Booth chuckled.

Brennan giggled at the anecdote. "A couple of weeks ago when he was saying his prayers before bed, he said 'lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from e-mail.'"

The father let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, I bet the big guy upstairs just loved that one."

Throughout dinner Booth and Brennan talked about his trip and her work. They exchanged guesses about what was going on back in D.C. but most of their talk was centered on Parker. They had been exchanging amusing stories about the five year old since they'd left the restaurant. Now they were making their way into their hotel room, wearing matching grins, still entertained from the tales they'd shared.

Both adults had also indulged in a few drinks, beer for him and wine for her. It had been the first chance they'd gotten to drink together in a very long time. Neither was drunk, the last thing they wanted was for Parker to come home to a hungover mother and father, but they were both a little off their game.

Booth walked into the room and immediately flopped back on the bed, sighing contently. Brennan rested her hand on the wall and stood on one foot to remove her heels. When her feet were bare, she reached to remove her earrings, tilting her head in the process. She hissed when a painful sensation suddenly ran down her neck.

The FBI agent rose up on his elbows. "What's wrong, Bones?"

Brennan put her hand on the back of her neck and squeezed slightly, trying to relieve the soreness. "I'm experiencing tension in my trapezius muscles."

He didn't know what exactly those were, but from the way she tried to rub her neck, he guessed that was where the pain emitted from. Standing up, he strode past her, towards the bathroom. "Change into your pajamas and put your hair up. I'll be out in a minute." He instructed before pushing the door closed.

His command caught her off guard, but she did as told. His order was a part of her nightly routine to get ready for bed anyway, so it wasn't too outlandish to follow. When Booth walked out of the bathroom, she saw he carried her bottle of lavender scented lotion. "What are you-"

"Lay down on your stomach." He interrupted her question with another demand. Inwardly, he knew the alcohol running through his veins was giving him the extra push that was making him so insistent.

"Why?" She questioned.

"You're about to be the lucky recipient of a world famous Seeley Booth massage." He told her with a signature cocky smile.

Brennan considered the offer for a split second before scooting backward on the bed. She turned over to lay on her front and let her head fall onto the fluffy pillows. Turning her face to the side, she declared with a comfortable sigh, "I'm doubtful that they're world famous."

Booth shook his head and crawled onto the bed to sit to the right side of her. He squeezed a dollop of the body cream into his hand and rubbed his other over it, spreading the substance. "I think you'll be singing a different tune in no time, Bones."

A moment later his fingers stared to work their way into the knots on her neck. The balls of his hands concurrently applied pressure to the very top of her spine. Booth was careful not to push too hard; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he hurt her. His eyes remained locked on the profile of her face, letting his sense of touch take over control of his hands. He tried to read her expression, needing to know if she was enjoying this or not.

Booth's answer came when a moan echoed from deep within her throat. His inner caveman banged his fists against his chest, knowing damn well that it was a sound of pleasure, not pain. He was making her feel good. He made his Bones feel good. The rush of power was dizzying. That, along with the mix of the strong lavender aroma and the smell that was simply Brennan, was enough to make his head spin. "Feel better?" He asked, egotistically seeking the response he already knew.

"Yes…" She groaned when his knuckled started moving in circular patterns outward against his shoulders. "You're very talented at this, Booth."

He smirked. "I try." His thumbs worked the skin of her neck that had now gone soft. "Looks like those trapezius muscles are all taken care of." A barely audible whimper escaped her lips. "Want me to keep going?"

She hesitated before quietly asking, "Would you?"

He leaned down far enough for his lips to ghost the shell of her ear. "I'll go as long as you want, Bones."

Booth slowly moved his head away from her ear and accidently brushed his nose against it, making Brennan whisper out a small, yet distinctive, sigh. Booth hadn't expected that. A sigh. Sure, she had groaned in response to his ministrations a few moments earlier but that could have been out of alleviation. A sigh was different. A sigh was relaxation, utter contentment, and to Booth in that moment, whether due to the alcohol that was currently warming his body or the woman below him that was setting it on fire, an invitation. He returned his hands to her back, pressing the pads of his fingers into the soft muscles that he had already loosened and continuing to apply his strength into them.

Suddenly something flashed in his eyes, a hindering something, a white something. The strap of the pretty, flowy thing that Brennan wore as her shirt. He had an idea. Brennan groaned again, yet this time in frustration. Booth had stopped that wonderful things that he was doing to her back and he had better had a good excuse for it. Yet her groan was cut off by a question. "Can I move this?"

"What?" Brennan replied, unsure of where Booth was coming from.

"Your shirt, it's in the way. If you want the full experience, I'm going to need access to more than your neck and shoulders." His voice was strong, but it was a façade. Truthfully, he'd never been so nervous to speak in his life.

Brennan looked over her shoulder, casting Booth a look that could only be described as playfully seductive. He kept his gasp silent. Did she know what she was doing to him? "I suppose I should have, what you call, the full experience. Especially considering how highly renowned and esteemed you tell me it is."

Booth hooked his pointer finger under the obstructing strap, its silkiness almost distracting him from the fact that he was beginning to undress his partner. Yes, they were only the straps of her shirt and yes, he had imagined this sort of situation with a more, satisfying, ending, but Booth couldn't deny that he felt his heart beat faster than it had in a long time.

For the next 20 minutes Brennan fell into a place between consciousness and sleep, a place where the only thing in the world that mattered was the way her partner's strong hands manipulated her flesh.

After what, to Booth, felt like hours of being given unrestricted access to what had to be the smoothest back he'd ever felt, he couldn't take it anymore. So he decided not to. Without lessening the pressure from his hands, he leaned his face so close to Brennan's back that had she been of right mind she would have felt his five o'clock shadow dancing on her skin.

His lips grazed the skin between her shoulder blades. He allowed his mouth to linger for the shortest second of his life before pulling back so little that his breath still warmed her nerves.

The unexpected contact pulled Brennan from her dreamlike world. Her eyes opened, but she remained still, wondering if she'd imagined the kiss. Her mind was certainly creating multiple fantasies that included the move.

A wave of confidence crashed over the FBI agent when she offered no opposition, so he pushed the envelope even farther and started a trail of feather light kisses up to the nape of her neck. As he came back down, he parted his lips, turning light pecks into hot open mouth caresses.

Brennan arched her spine, thanking every god from every culture she knew of that this was no hallucination. Desperate for a taste of her own, she turned her torso just enough to catch his lips with her own before they descended on her once again.

Booth's mouth dueled with her for dominance. Every instant he thought he was in control, he'd feel her suck just a little bit harder, lick just a little bit faster. He was addicted to her. The little touches and tastes he'd snuck here and there since Parker had become a son to both himself and his partner had all built up into one large and nagging addiction that distracted the hell out of him. It was this addiction that distracted him, that made him forget of how his hands creeping closer and closer to her breasts would usually make him fearful for his life.

His hands stopped on their own volition, just as they had started their ascent without his permission as well. Booth applied the slightest bit of pressure with his thumbs and felt the curve of Brennan's breast beneath his grip. He was going to pass out, he was sure of it. He was a fully grown, and sexually adept, man and he was going to be rendered unconscious from grazing the underside of a woman's breast.

The touch of calloused fingertips against side of her chest sobered Brennan back into reality. Her dragged her swollen lips from his and unconsciously wrapped her hands around his wrists, ceasing his actions.

With a heaving breath, Booth realized what direction his greedy palms were moving. "Oh God, Bones, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She replied, steadying her own breath as well.

"No, it's not. I just got a little carried away." He couldn't believe he allowed his hormones to rule him so easily. For years he'd become an expert of suppressing his sexual desire around her and now he was behaving like a teenager.

"It's alright, Booth, really." She paused. "But, we've discussed this before."

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

_"We need to talk about what happened the other night, Bones."_

_From the moment Brennan's lips disconnected with his own, she had consumed their thoughts. The heated make out session on his couch took place over a week ago and he's been itching to talk about it ever since. Unfortunately, every moment Brennan was in his presence, they were either at work, or with Parker, or they just didn't have the time he wanted to devote to the issue._

_This night however was different. Parker had just fallen asleep and before Brennan could step through the front door, he halted her with his words._

_She turned and met his pleading eyes. For seven days she had been hoping that Booth chose to forget about the incident and move on. Clearly, she'd been mistaken. "I don't see why. It was a moment of poor judgment which I believe was caused by my exhaustion and your need for physical intimacy that has been denied since you've taken on Parker full time."_

_The father's jaw extended. "Is that seriously what you think that was? That you were sleep deprived and I was just looking for a little action?"_

_"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't serious." She stated a fact that he should already know._

_"That's a load of crap, Bones. I would never just use you like that." Booth was disgusted at the thought. He'd never use any woman as a means to end, especially her. He stepped into her personal space, claiming it like it were his own and grasped her forearms. "What happened between us…there was a lot more behind it. Please tell me that on some level you know that."_

_He felt Brennan tense under his hold. Their gazes locked. Booth could see the fear in her eyes. She wanted to run. He tightened his hold on her, trying desperately to get her to realize what he already knew. "I-I'm aware of the attraction between us." Before he could speak up, she continued, "I concede that the attraction has deepened over the course of time because of our partnership, but…"_

_"But what? You feel it, Bones. I know you do."_

_"A romantic relationship is too much of a risk." She straightforwardly told him. "Parker comes first."_

_"He still can."_

_"Not if we're focused on each other. I care about you Booth and I know you can reciprocate those feelings, but we both need to care about him more."_

_Booth finally let his arms fall. He took a few steps away from her, soaking in the significance of her words. Standing in front of the window, he uttered a question he'd been wanting to ask from the moment Brennan offered to help him raise his son. "You really love him don't you."_

_A beat._

_"More than I ever thought I could." _

* * *

So, there you go :) There will be a ton of Parker fluff next chapter guys, so if you missed him this time, don't worry!

Please let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

_Since you guys were so amazing last chapter, here's an update for you :) I hope you all like it! I know I do, lol._

_**Once again: Kimmy, my right hand, my go to girl, my Bones soulmate...THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU!

* * *

**_

"Dr. Jack!" Parker shrieked as the entomologist strode casually into Brennan's office. "I brought the coolest thing for you from our trip!" He dove into his child sized back pack that carted his toys daily to and from the Jeffersonian.

The curly hair man laughed. "Can't wait to see it, little dude." He turned to his superior. "The body just arrived and oooh is it a good one. I need your okay before I can start collecting particulates. Cam already green lighted it."

Brennan's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know what that means, but from your enthusiasm I assume it's positive."

Before the man could explain the meaning behind his words, Parker scurried over and stood before him, holding a small plastic cup with a Hilton logo printed on the side. The circular opening was covered in a sheet of bathroom tissue that was secured down with pieces of scotch tape. "I found it!"

As the boy peeled back the paper, Jack peered inside to find a beetle, a leptinotarsa decemlineata to be exact, lying dead on its back. The scientist sent the file he carried on Brennan's desk. "Nice one!" He praised and reached inside with his gloved hand.

The second the bug was visible between his fingers, Brennan's nose scrunched in disgust. "Parker, how long have you had that?" She cringed to know how long he'd been hiding that surprise.

"Since we went to the zoo with the merry-go-round." He declared, beaming with pride. "I snuck it in my pocket."

Before a stern scolding could take place, Hodgins jumped into the conversation. "Little dude, I think you should stick to catching bugs when you're with me, alright? Every insect deserves the best environment and cargo short's pockets aren't the best place to keep them." The five year old pouted, but acknowledged the rule with a nod of his head.

Brennan let the innocent action slide and re-focused on the remains awaiting her. "Dr. Hodgins, could you please keep an eye on him while I do my initial examination?"

"Sure thing, Dr. B." Jack agreed, remembering an incident a few months back when Parker accidentally saw a rotting corpse on the forensic platform. From that moment on, it was an unspoken rule of the lab that whenever a fresh body came in, someone's sole mission was to keep the child as entertained as possible if he was present.

"Booth should arrive to pick him up soon." Brenna informed, slipping into her blue lab coat. She leaned down to the boy and kissed his head, buttoning her garment at the same time. "Be good for Dr. Jack, okay?"

"I will, Bones."

Brennan stilled and gazed at him with curious eyes as he tugged Jack towards the table where he'd been piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. His reply expertly caught her off guard. He hadn't referred to her with that moniker in almost two weeks. The nickname sounded foreign on his lips. She didn't move a muscle until Hodgins' voice broke her train of thought. "Dr. B, is something wrong?" His apprehensive voice asked.

"No." She faked a grin before pacing out of her office. "Everything is fine, Dr. Hodgins."

Forty-five minutes later, she returned to her sanctuary, pleased that she had already determined a cause of death for their newest victim. Her eyes darted to Parker who appeared to be learning a type of handshake from the entomologist.

"Alright, then you slap on both sides." Jack instructed while raising his right hand to tap both side of Parker's extended left. "Then knuckles." They bumped fists. "Then explode." Their fingers extend at the same time; the boy added a bomb like sound effect for emphasis.

"That was cool!" Parker marveled. "Can we do it again?"

"I think it's time we let Dr. Jack get back to work." Brennan spoke, announcing her presence.

Parker sucked his teeth. "Just a few more minutes, please?"

"No, she's right. I have goo to collect. We'll learn another one next time." Hodgins promised. "See ya." He exited the room, determined to mark the time of death before the work day ended.

Brennan took his place on the couch and looked down at the complete puzzle, impressed. She smiled, knowing how long he'd been working on the item that was two age ranges above where he was. "Why are you so quiet mommy?" Parker inquired, as he scooted into her lap. "Was that dead person gross?"

Brennan chuckled and turned him ninety degrees so she could look into his eyes as they talked. "You know I'm not going to answer that question…" Tapping him on the nose, she continued, "…but I do have one for you." She paused, unsure how to settle what was eating at her. He'd just called her mommy so that answered some of the questions she conjured while working. "Why did you call me Bones in front of Dr. Jack?"

His sudden downcast eyes told her it was something he'd knowingly done. "He doesn't know you're my mommy. He still thinks you're my Bones. I don't want him to think I'm silly if I call you mommy."

Brennan rubbed her hand over his unruly locks. She too had considered her fellow squints opinions. For the majority of her co-workers, she didn't care in the least what they thought. There were only a chosen few, Angela, Jack, and even Cam, who feelings she held in very high regard, but in that moment when her little boy voiced his similar concerns, she realized her emotions would forever take a back seat to his. "I don't believe Dr. Jack would ever think you were silly. You can call me mommy in front of other people whenever you're ready, alright baby? You can choose." Brennan rested her forehead against his. "As long as you know I'm always mommy when we're at home." She jokingly growled.

Her playfully stern voice made him laugh. "When it's family time?"

"Yes, when it's family time." She confirmed.

Just then, familiar footsteps made them both to look towards the doorway where the missing piece of their family came striding in. "There's my two favorite people." Booth greeted.

The three exchanged quick hellos and stories about their day. Parker told his father all about the bug he'd high jacked across state lines. Brennan explained, in a few carefully chosen words, her findings for their latest case.

The agent flipped his lucky poker chip. "That's great Bones, hopefully this one will be quick."

"You're always gunna call mommy Bones, aren't you daddy?" Parker asked out of the blue, staring fondly at his father.

Booth glanced at his partner, trying to find some clarification for the sudden question, but her eyes were focused on the child in her lap. "Yeah, bub, I guess I am. Why?"

Brennan could hear the range of his inquiry extend to her as well. "No reason." She answered.

Luckily, Parker' rumbling stomach easily changed the subject. "I'm hungry. Can we have pizza for dinner?"

"Actually, bub, we have to run to the grocery store. The kitchen needs re-stocking since we've been away." Booth told him while he picked up his son's bag. "We should get moving to beat the rush though."

Parker slipped off Brennan's knees allowing her to stand. "I just have to shut my computer down and we can go." She spoke, moving to her desk.

The FBI agent spun around as she sauntered past him. "You want to come?" He questioned, although a part of him wasn't sure if he should.

"I believe that part of my role as a parent is to monitor Parker's nutrition and over the years I've observed that you don't make healthy choices when it comes to what you eat. I worry you'll pass down those habits to him."

Booth wouldn't have dared to question her serious tone if it hadn't concerned his son. "I make perfectly fine choices about what I eat." He challenged.

Brennan stripped off her lab coat and draped it over the metal coat rack. She grabbed her laptop bag and approached her partner. Parker moved between them and took hold of both of their hands. The three maneuvered through the doorway in a single file line before spreading back out horizontally as they strolled through the lab. Parker picked his feet up. Booth and Brennan both tightened their hold on his hand and lifted slightly, allowing him to swing. He'd become very fond of doing that lately. Once he swayed once, Brennan continued their discussion. "Booth, your diet mostly consists of take out, coffee, and pie."

"So does yours, except for the pie." He argued.

"Quite the contrary, every meal that I cook at home is made with a variety of fresh, organic ingredients. Some I'd bet you've never even heard of, let alone tasted." She retorted as Parker stepped back, squeaking his sneakers on the chemical resistant vinyl lab floor, and let himself fall between them again.

"Yeah, yeah, just swing the kid, okay?"

(*)

The instant that the electric-powered door at the front of the supermarket slid open, Parker bolted inside and began tugging at the handle of a cart from the long line that waited just inside the door.

"Hold up, Buddy, I got it." Booth jogged to catch up, simultaneously pulling the cart free and ruffling his son's hair. He loved seeing him excited to go grocery shopping. Most people would have never guessed it about Seeley Booth, but ever since he was Parker's age he loved the supermarket. It must have had something to do with the limitless food possibilities.

As Brennan joined them, she pulled a crisply folded piece of paper from her purse.

"What is that?" Booth inquired whilst trying to grab the item in question from her hands. Brennan lifted her eyebrows. Surely Booth knew what a grocery list looked like.

"A few days ago I took the liberty of compiling a list containing a few items that I noticed were either completely depleted, or almost so, in your kitchen. I also added a couple of things that I remember I needed to restock in my own pantry…" Booth shook his head forcefully as she rambled on. This was not okay.

"Oh no, no, no, Bones." He said as he finally tugged the list away and quickly pocketed it. "Booth's do not use lists and since you are currently outnumbered two to one by Booths this piece of paper will be staying with me." He patted the aforementioned pocket to emphasize his last statement and Brennan, immediately reminded of the last time she had tried to retrieve something from his pocket, decided against rescuing her list.

Then, without giving Brennan the time to come up with a response, Booth turned the cart and headed past the line of registers and towards the first aisle.

Brennan huffed. There were multiple things that she could find wrong with Booth's argument yet as she watched her favorite little blonde mess of curls excitedly bounce around his Dad, every single one of those comebacks were wiped from her mind.

She spent the next half hour simply observing what it meant to grocery shop Booth style, she even refrained from suggesting healthier options and meals. Their ways were odd and, for the most part, illogical. Mainly though, and she would never have given Booth the benefit of knowing this, it was endearing.

To them, going through the aisles in order is unnecessary because you can simply wander around aimlessly as you think of products. Snack foods are immediately more appealing, to both Booth junior and senior, if they are in the shape of a cartoon character. When picking out produce the origin of the crop or differences in type are irrelevant, as long as it is the cheapest available price and free of blemishes it is a good buy. Booth even explained to her the apparent uselessness of a shopping list as he placed a loaf of bread into the cart.

"You don't need a list when you're shopping because if you really needed it, you'd remember it. If I can't remember it then that just means I must not have needed it as badly as I thought I did at first." Brennan tried to fight back the urge to lecture him but failed.

"Booth, that is completely illogical. A person's memory can be altered and distracted by a number of different catalysts and disturbances."

"I think Daddy's right, Mommy." Parker said, smiling. "It's like destiny for what we eat!"

Brennan gasped in fake horror. "Did you just do what I think you did?" She leaned over and picked up the now hysterically laughing boy. "You know what I told you! Daddy's ego gets bigger when we agree with him!" Brennan punctuated her statement by wiggling her fingers right in the spot on Parker's side that she knew was the most sensitive.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Parker squeaked as he reacted to the relentless tickling. Brennan loved his laugh when he was being tickled. It was gleeful. Uninhibited. Yet she knew she had to stop so the little boy wouldn't cause a scene.

As soon as Parker's breathing became regular again he used his position in Brennan's arms to grab another loaf of bread off the shelf and throw it into the cart alongside the first one.

"I got some bread for you too, Mommy!"

Booth watched the loaf fall from his sons hand to the relatively stuffed cart with a half frown upon his mouth. "You know, Bones? It's kind of ridiculous that we buy two of everything."

Brennan tilted her head to the side. "We don't buy two of everything. The two of us have vastly different tastes in food. I prefer more organic and wholesome foods to be stocked on my shelves while you favor products full of ingredients that you cannot pronounce."

"Bones," Booth stared at her begrudgingly with the deep brown eyes that both he and Parker knew how to use so well. "You know what I mean. We eat virtually every meal together anyways. Think of the money we could be saving."

Brennan stared in the cart. She could see what Booth was talking about. Two loaves of bread. Two sets of Juicy Juice, juice box containers. Two gallons of milk, one skim and one two percent. Two boxes of Fruit by the Foot, the kind with the cheesy jokes that Parker loves on the wrappers. She had to admit, it did seem kind of superfluous. Booth noticed Brennan's nose start to scrunch towards her eyes and he knew she was thinking hard about what he said, but Booth quickly noticed something much more disconcerting.

"We have no desserts in this cart!" Booth yelped, alarmed at his discovery. Parker's jaw suddenly fell as his brain registered the obvious blasphemy that his father just exposed. He wiggled his body impatiently in Brennan's arms.

"Lemme down, Mommy, we have an emergency!" Brennan put Parker down and the instant that his little feet hit the ground he grabbed his father's hand and tried to pull his him towards the end of the aisle. Booth smiled at Brennan and then shot a smirk at Parker, who simply widened his eyes and whispered "Ice Cream, Daddy" like it was some secret that his mommy couldn't know.

Booth pretended to think about his son's proposition, while Parker was noticeably anxious because of the stalling. "Come on!" He drew out, giving another half-hearted tug on Booth's arm.

"Alright!" Booth exclaimed as he watched a grin instantly appear on Parker's face. "You think you can grab some cereal, Bones? It's the only other thing that I think we need. Park and I'll head to frozen foods and meet you at the front of the store?" He flashed a charm smile, feeling a silly need to have her stamp of approval for the ice cream.

"Fine. Can you please pick something with some nutritional value though? We are responsible for teaching Parker how to provide healthy and fulfilling sustenance for his growing body." Booth nodded to Brennan's stipulations before gripping his son's hand and heading towards their destination.

"And just because it says there is fruit topping or filling does not make it healthy! They are overly sugared and caramelized!" Brennan called after the boys as turned the corner. She knew it was useless, though. Not only had they been too far away to hear her pleadings but she knew her son, and she certainly knew his father, and neither of them were going to come back from an aisle full frozen treats with something she would consider nutritional.

Brennan reached the cereal aisle and paced down it, staring crossly at the countless boxes boasting the fact that they contained marshmallows and overly-sugared and colored oat bits. She knew that's what the Booth boys liked. Things that you could tell were unhealthy after eating only one spoonful.

Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted a couple boxes of Kashi brand cereal on the top shelf a couple feet away. If she was already looking forward to a night of dealing with their sugar rushes because of ice cream, then there was no harm in buying them a brand of cereal that would provide them with the vitamins and nutrients to healthily start their day.

She was obviously doing them a favor. She was saving them from themselves, Brennan convinced herself as she walked over to the cereal box she wanted.

She looked up and immediately gathered that her normal stature was going to be ineffective in this situation, so she pushed her weight onto the tips of her toes and reached as far up as she could. She was able to touch the box with her fingertips but the movement merely pushed it further away.

"Damn it." Brennan cursed as she rebalanced her weight to try and boost herself the extra inch she needed to get a good grip on the cereal box. But just before she went to launch herself up, she felt a large presence reaching over her to pull the obstinate box from the shelf.

"Here you go, honey. I got it for you." A strange voice came accompanied the big hand.

Brennan was immediately uneasy. She had yet to even look at her mysterious rescuer and she could already sense that this was not good.

She was used to men trying to pick her up and it didn't usually bother her, even when she had no intentions on agreeing to their advances. It just simply didn't feel right to her this time. Unfortunately though, if she wanted the cereal she had no real choice but to acknowledge the man who retrieved it for her.

"Thank you." Brennan said curtly as she grabbed the box and threw it in the seat of the cart, trying to escape as quickly as possible.

"What's your name?" He managed he ask in a deep drawl before Brennan could move away.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you are a nice man, but I feel obligated to stop you before you even begin. I'm not in any place to be trading names with strange men in the supermarket." She stated plainly as she turned towards him.

"I'm not a strange man." He replied, with what Brennan recognized as what must've been an unsuccessful attempt at the charm smile that Booth had perfected. He then added a wink trying emphasize his already lacking allure. "You don't even know me."

Brennan smiled at the man with as much sympathy as she could muster. "And I'm not going to. Thank you for the cereal, though."

As the man dejectedly walked away, Brennan noticed two familiar shapes standing in the opening that the other man had just exited through. To her dismay, neither of the faces on these shapes seemed pleased and they were both focused on her.

As they walked, little hand in big hand, toward Brennan, Booth tried to overcome his frustration and break the ice.

"Hey, Bones, what's the hold…" But Parker wasn't going to let that happen.

"Mommy, who was that guy? I've never seen him before." Parker emphatically exclaimed. _Yeah, Mommy, who was that guy,_ Booth thought, mentally agreeing with every word his son said.

When Brennan didn't answer immediately, Parker turned to Booth.

"Daddy, do you know that guy?" Booth tried to think of what to say. He didn't know what had happened, and to be honest, he was experiencing the exact same antagonism as his son.

"No, I don't but it's okay, buddy. Sometimes people like to be friendly to other people, even if they're strangers. You know how you like waving at people when we drive past them on the street?"

Parker nodded his head with glassy eyes.

"Well, it's just like that. You're being friendly and so was that man." Booth was frantic. He saw the look in Parker's eyes. He knew that he wasn't buying it.

"No, Daddy!" Parker yelled, the tears starting to spill out from his eyes and onto the roundness of his cheeks. "He was not being friendly and it's not okay! He winked and you said boys wink at girls they like! He was looking at Mommy like you look at Mommy! That's your smile for Mommy!"

Booth hissed and shot his eyes at Brennan looking for any sign of awkwardness but instead saw nothing but remorse. He was relieved that Brennan didn't notice what Parker was insinuating but found himself becoming angrier because the boy was right. That was his smile for Bones and even his son could recognize that. No one else is allowed to smile that smile. Especially not at her.

Parker had a sudden burst of confidence. "And Mommy was supposed to find us after we got the ice cream!" He let go of his father's hand and walked right up to Brennan, standing as tall as his little body could manage. "Why do you wanna talk to strangers instead of be with me and Daddy?"

"Parker, I don't." Brennan tried to explain, both stunned and devastated.

"Am I not good enough anymore? Is it 'cause I wanted ice cream because I can put it back!"

"Baby, shhhh." Brennan whimpered, falling to her knees and taking the distraught child in her arms. "You are the best little boy that I have ever met in my life. Better than almost all the bigger boys I've met too and I wouldn't trade you for anyone or anything in the entire world. I love you."

Parker sniffled. "Am I better than all the little girls too?"

"Oh, definitely." Brennan smiled, wiping away Parker's tears. "Are we okay, baby? I am very sorry that I made you upset. I couldn't reach the cereal and a very nice man noticed and helped me. All I was doing was saying thank you. Do you forgive me?"

"We're okay, Mommy. I understand. You can't not say thank you when somebody helps you, Daddy taught me that." Parker said, wrapping his tiny arms around Brennan's shoulders. Brennan smiled into Parker's shoulder but before she could relax into the hug, he pulled back and stared her very seriously in the eye. "Does this mean that we can still get the ice cream?"

Booth and Brennan instantaneously let out the worried breaths that they had been holding for the past five minutes."Of course, baby." Brennan laughed as she picked Parker up and balanced him on her hip.

"Good! Because Daddy picked one out that he said you would really, really like this time!"

(*)

It was late when the black sequoia rolled down empty D.C. streets. After dinner and dessert, Booth insisted on driving Brennan to her apartment, seeing as her car still sat in the Jeffersonian parking garage. The adults rode in silence while Parker snoozed in the backseat. Every few seconds the father would glance at Brennan in the passenger seat to find her in the same position every time: legs crossed, chin resting on her fist, staring out of the window. Her posture never shifted and he was desperate to know why.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours, Bones?" He asked in a hushed tone, keeping his line of sight forward.

Brennan's eyes darted to the rearview mirror, giving her a clear view of Parker's peaceful face as he slept. His head was leaning against the side of his child seat, no doubt imprinting funny shaped mark on his forehead. She took a steadying breath before answering. "I'm worried about him, Booth. He keeps throwing these tantrums."

Booth re-adjusted his hold on the steering wheel. "I know, Bones, but he's five. Tantrums are what they do. Plus, that last one was kind of justified." He muttered those last few words so low that she almost didn't hear them.

"By what means?" She questioned.

He sighed. "What happened in the store…it wasn't like the other times when he has the nightmares or anything. It wasn't because of…her. When he saw that guy talking to you, he got scared."

Brennan leaned back against the head rest. "I wish he wasn't so afraid. I don't know what I can do to convince him that I won't leave." She looked desperately at her partner. "How do I make him understand that he's good enough?"

Booth pulled the car over to the side of the road. He flipped the shift into park and turned to look at her. "It's not your fault he feels that way, Bones. Rebecca damaged him when she took off. She forced that insecurity onto him. It won't be there forever, but for now all we can do is make sure he knows that we love him."

"I do."

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know you do, Bones." Booth extended his hand to rest on her cheek. He rubbed his thumb across apple of her cheek that was turning pinker by the second. "Parker will be okay. We'll make sure of it."

Brennan wanted to nod, but she was incapacitated by the warm sensations his hand brought to her skin. "There's still something I'm curious about." She whispered. His expression urged her on. "Why were you also upset?"

Booth pulled back. She almost whimpered at the loss of contact. He reached for the gear shift, intent on getting his mind back on driving, when her hand locked around his own, turning the tables and debilitating him. Unable to help himself, he turned his palm and laced his fingers through hers.

"I don't like seeing you with other guys." He confessed with his head hanging. "And don't say it's irrational because I know it is. I know you weren't interested and that he was just talking to you, but it doesn't matter. The idea of you with another man…I can't handle it, Bones."

Booth clenched his teeth together, anticipating a tongue lashing about anthropological this and that. Her response however, couldn't have shocked him anymore.

"I understand."

Booth almost gave himself whiplash his head snapped upward so quickly. "What?" He gasped.

Brennan chewed the inside of her cheek, contemplating what she was second from disclosing. For two years she'd been trying to convince herself that this feeling she had was foolish, but despite her hopeless attempts to ignore the emotion, over time it's simply strengthened. "I too feel uneasy when I see you with a member of the opposite sex, even when I'm aware that there are no romantic intentions." She paused, gazing down at their connected palms. "And I don't know what that means."

Booth raised their interlocked hand to his lips, kissing her fingers. "I think it means that Parker doesn't have to worry about anyone coming between his parents."

"I never realized that when I decided to commit myself to Parker, I committed myself to you as well." Brennan divulged as shivers ran down her spine every time his lips touched her. "I never realized how much I really wanted to be, how easily it would become the best part of my life."

"Bones…" Booth murmured, leaning towards her.

Brennan placed her other hand on his shoulder, stopping his movement. "I still don't have enough evidence to prove that a romantic entanglement is worth putting Parker in jeopardy." She spoke quickly. Before he could protest, she carried on, "But I can promise that I will reject any and all advances from other men."

Booth cupped her face with both hands. Brown eyes burned into blue. "I know that's a big step for you, Bones, but before you take another, I need you to be honest with you."

"You can tell me anything." Brennan encouraged.

"I know." He smiled before his face once again became stern. "I feel like you were trapped into this."

"This?"

"This." He waved his hand towards the backseat. "Parker, me, being there for us. I know you chose to be with him, Bones, but I don't want you to feel like that means you have to be with me."

Brennan was silent as she registered his words. He was wrong, but that wasn't the issue. He thought he was making her unhappy and that wasn't acceptable. "I've never felt an obligation to be with you, not as your partner or anything else." She unwaveringly affirmed.

Booth breathed deep as the anxiety left his body. "Thanks, Bones. That's, uh, really nice to hear."

"I don't know how much of myself I can give to someone, Booth, but I feel comfortable promising that however much that is, it will be yours."

The agent felt his stomach drop. Someday, at least a small part of her would be his. He never thought he'd heard sweeter words in his life. "Yeah?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "I don't believe there is anyone else, Booth." Brennan gathered her confidence and took a leap of faith saying her next words. "For either of us."

Booth's heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest. He grabbed both of her wrists so there would be no chance of her pushing him away, rocked forward and planted his lips directly on hers. She kissed him back for the smallest second before he pulled away to whisper against her mouth, "I've known that for a long time, Bones."

_FIVE MONTHS EARLIER_

_Booth tapped his foot erratically against the linoleum floor of the Royal Diner to the tune of some song he had heard on the radio on the drive over. He wondered what was taking Brennan so long to get there. Sure, Parker wasn't the easiest kid to get moving but he listened to every word that came out of that woman's mouth like it was the word of God._

_Not that Booth could blame him for that. It'd be hard not to. _

_He stared down at the half eaten piece of apple pie that sat deserted in front of him and thought about her. About Bones. _

_He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her in his life, how lucky Parker was to have her in his life. He didn't even want to think about where the two of them would have been had she not stepped in to help after Rebecca packed up and left. People always underestimated her when it came down to the heart area of things but Booth knew better. He knew what she was really capable of feeling and sacrificing. _

_Unfortunately, Booth had to cut his reverie short as he saw a woman slide out from a chair at the other end of the diner and swing her hips as she strode towards him. He knew that walk and he knew that glint beginning to form in her eye. He knew the kind of woman she was; blond, leggy and gorgeous with more sex appeal than she knew what to do with. She was exactly his type._

_Well, she used to be his type._

_As the woman got closer, he could smell her perfume. It was one of those scents that could be extremely sexy when you knew how to wear it, which this woman most certainly did not. Honestly, it just made him feel like he needed to sneeze._

_By the time the unknown woman reached his table, Booth had stopped tapping his foot and did his best to look disinterested._

"_Hey, I saw you sitting all by your lonesome over here…" She began but Booth was distracted because as he turned his head he saw exactly what he had been waiting for: Brennan and Parker across the street from the diner, talking animatedly and laughing. The second before they stepped onto the concrete he watched his partner cautiously take his child's hand in her own and check twice for oncoming traffic. My son and my Bones, he thought and smiled_

"_No thanks." He said to the woman, unsure if she had even asked a question that could be answered by that statement. But he didn't care, seeing as Brennan and Parker had finally appeared in the establishment's entrance. "I got all the company I need walking through the door."

* * *

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_Like? Love? What some more?_

_Let me know!_


	13. Chapter 13

_I was blown away by all those review last chapter! You guys have no idea how much work went into getting this one too you tonight. I really hope you like it!_****

Kimmy: My twin, My love, My AMAZING CO-AUTHOR, this is your story just as much as it is mine :D

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Brennan flicked her pen across on the second draft of her manuscript, scoring the paper with several red marks. She sat Indian style on her couch, revising her novel on the first Saturday morning she'd voluntarily taken off from the lab in a very long time. Truthfully, the free time wasn't her wish. Booth told her that Parker had grown like a weed in the past few months and was in dire need of new clothes and shoes. The father insisted that she accompany them to the mall because, in his words, "You're a woman, Bones. You know how to shop." She argued that unlike most females, she detested spending hours walking around aimlessly in clothing stores, but he was relentless. So there she sat, passing time until Booth and Parker arrived at her apartment for what she assumed was going to be a very long day.

Minutes later, she heard the locking mechanism in her doorknob click. Parker sprinted inside ahead of his father. The boy ran directly over to Brennan, planting a hello kiss on her cheek before taking off towards her desk. Booth ambled into the living room after him, greeting her with a smile. Both adults turned their attention to the child who was focused on the large calendar displayed on Brennan's desk.

Under his breath Parker quietly counted, "Six…seven…eight…only eight days til my birthday!" He excitedly informed, spinning in a circle in the desk chair.

"Really? Are you sure it's not nine days?" Booth teased his son, stepping over to him. His brown eyes glanced down at the calendar and saw that the 28th had _Parker Turns 6 _written in big block letters, in three different colors that spilled onto the surrounding blocks.

"Nope. It's eight daddy! See…" He counted once more. "Eight!"

"Daddy's only joking, Parker." Brennan told him, approaching father and son.

"Yeah, bub. You wouldn't ever let us forget the big countdown." Booth ruffled his hair. "Or that scooter you want."

He scrunched up his nose. "I don't want that anymore. I want a bike! A green BMX one like the cool guys who ride on those dirt hills."

"That doesn't sound very safe." Brennan said, placing her book in its designated drawer. She noticed her partner's eyebrows shift upward, trying to sneak a peek at the papers. "You're not reading it until it's published, Booth."

"Come on, why not? I'm one of the main characters. I should get a little preview." He made a quick move to snatch the small key from her hand that matched the drawer's lock.

Brennan jerked her hand back, keeping it out of his grasp. "No, you can wait just like everyone else." She placed her hands on her hips. "And Andy is not based on you."

"Oh, really?" Booth dropped a hand on the desk, leaning towards her.

Parker looked upward, trapped between their bodies in the seat, grinning at his bickering parents. They were always fun when they did this.

"Yes." She boldly stated.

"So it's just a coincidence that Kathy and Andy's main conflict in your new book is whether or not they're ever going to have kids?"

"My publisher suggested that I move their relationship forward and I didn't want…" Her blue eyes suddenly widened. "You read it?"

Booth held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I can't help that you left it on the coffee table the other night."

Before Brennan could warn him against ever sneaking into her books again, Parker stood up in the chair, popping up between them. "I changed my mind. I want rollerblades!"

The adults laughed at his outburst. "Nice change of subject, buddy." Booth praised.

"I want the kind with the wheels in the line, like those guys who fly on those ramps."

Brennan slid her hands under his arms. She picked him up off the spinning chair and planted him safely on the ground. "Scooters, bikes, and now rollerblades? I think the only present you need young man is a helmet."

(*)

The high pitched chime of the toy bell attached to the windowed front door of _Party City_ clattered loudly as Booth pushed his partner through it. He was excited. This was the first time that he was in full control of Parker's birthday festivities. This, of course, meant that it had to be the "best party of all of forever". Booth could definitely pull that off. He scowled playfully though, Brennan was still moving far too slowly.

"You're acting very childlike!" Brennan laughed as she gave into the increasing pressure on the spot on her back that had become recognizable to her as his.

Her acquiescence to his pushing simply enabled Booth to slip deftly around her and grab her hand, pulling her in the direction of an aisle full of multi-colored party decorations. Yet, to Brennan's puzzlement, he did not stop there to browse. He instead guided her straight into an aisle that was labeled as "Boys Themes" by a notice hung above it.

"What was wrong with those products, Booth? They certainly seemed satisf…" Brennan's eyes widened. Her head buzzed with all of the anthropological impossibilities that she saw; cars adorned with overly expressive facial structures, toy cowboys and pig shaped banks engaging in conversation and a grossly unattractive ogre with the cockney accent that Brennan vaguely remembered disliking in an earlier film viewing with Parker.

"This is ridiculous, Booth" She stood sullenly watching her partner ungracefully dump an armful of paper napkins emblazoned with cartoon renderings of underwater creatures into their cart.

"_SpongeBob Squarepants_ is one Parker's favorite TV shows, Bones." Booth stated emphatically as he ignored her and reached for the plates that matched the napkins.

"Yes, I am well aware of that, but the entire basis of this television series is completely inaccurate! Both sea sponges and starfish are barely capable of significant movement, let alone speaking or acting as humans do. And a squirrel would never be able to replicate its natural habitat…"

Booth dropped the package of plates into the basin of the cart and turned around, curling his fingers around the edge and leaning his face in towards Brennan's.

"Bones, it's a kid's show. Kids like when things talk when they're not supposed to, especially if they use that ability to sing catchy songs and make fart jokes." Booth paused and moved even closer so their foreheads almost touched. "He's going to be six years old in seven days. We can't expect him to be asking us to throw him a _Meet the Press_ themed birthday party."

Brennan tried to envision Parker enjoying himself at the kind of party she had initially imagined and she found herself unable. Booth took her thoughtful silence as her accepting defeat on the matter even though the glint in her eye told him she was still trying to work it out in her mind.

"Hey, Bones, could you go out there and get a pack of balloons from that shelf?" Booth asked sweetly while pointing towards the entrance of the aisle. Brennan sighed heavily and shuffled her feet towards the selection of balloons that Booth had indicated. She saw the _SpongeBob_ ones that she knew Booth had been talking about and wondered the probability of him noticing if she brought back plain blue ones instead.

"Mommy, Mommy! Look at me!" Brennan's head snapped up. The word 'Mommy' instantly grabbed her attention even though it was not spoken by Parker.

A little girl, seemingly around the same age as Parker, spun out of the aisle that was diagonal to Brennan. She had long brown hair topped with a fake silver tiara and a purple polka-dotted dress and she was twirling around with her arms spread out to her sides. Her hair and the skirt of her dress fanned out simultaneously and Brennan smiled at the joyful giggles that emanated from her little lungs. The little girl looked up and cried to her mother once again.

"I look like a princess! Just like the ones that are gonna be on my cake!"

Brennan raised her eyebrows. _Well, that's not that bad. At least princesses are real,_ she thought. Brennan knew she should bring the balloons back to Booth, but she couldn't stop watching the little pretend princess in front of her.

There was something mesmerizing about her. Something she couldn't place. That was until she looked closer. The little girl hair was a deep brown, almost chocolate like, and her eyes were such a light shade of blue she would have considered them gray if she didn't have the exact same color.

Then it hit her. The little girl looked just like she could have belonged to her and Booth. Just like if they had a baby together.

First her editor's suggestion, then Booth's reaction to the idea of Kathy and Andy having a baby, and now this little girl, Brennan didn't believe in 'signs,' but she had to admit that the concept of having her own child had proved to be a theme in her mind the past few days.

To be honest, Brennan wasn't as opposed to the idea as she thought she would have been when confronted with it. For so long she was convinced that her life was complete as it was. She had her work and she had her friends, even if there were only a few. She had never viewed the stereotypical and anthropologically irrational life of a marriage and children as something that would fulfill her.

Yet again, ever since she took on the role of mother in Parker's life her opinions on a lot of things had changed.

Brennan closed her eyes and shook her head, forcing herself to stop looking at, and thinking about, the little girl in front of her. She had to stop dwelling on this. She could already feel an oncoming headache. So she turned around and walked back to Booth, who was still filling the cart with _SpongeBob_ favors and decorations.

As she walked up to him, Brennan looked up with a look that Booth could only describe as puppy-dog eyes. He smiled, knowing that she had no idea what they were, let alone that she was able to give them. He was curious though. He knew she had been observing something, as her eyes had narrowed in the way that they did when she studied a skeleton, but he honestly couldn't place what it could've been that she was looking at. Booth never got the chance to ask though, for Brennan continued her earlier argument.

"I just don't think we should knowingly allow the television industry to convince Parker that a crab can possess the inherit traits that make us human beings…or manage a fast food eating establishment." She said in a small, pleading voice.

Booth laughed at her literal description of Mr. Krabs as he closed the remaining floor space between them. He lifted his hands and placed them on her arms, rubbing soothingly. He loved the fact that she wanted to be a good mother.

"Now, I didn't hear you saying that to Parker when you let him convince you to watch an entire hour of it the one Saturday and then continuing to explain all of the things that _SpongeBob_ could make by blowing bubbles throughout dinner."

Brennan sighed and stared up at Booth's amused face from beneath her eyelashes. "I couldn't help it. You should have seen how bright his eyes were when he begged me to watch with him. I've come to the conclusion that it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to deny him of something he wants when he is excited." She paused, a tiny grin appearing in the corner of her lips. "Or when he smiles."

Booth felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. No matter how many times he saw Brennan's affection for Parker, no matter how many times he saw her hold him, or kiss him goodnight, or call him Baby, Booth could not get used to the incredibly joyful feeling that crashed over him because of it. It made him feel like he was floating on air.

It wasn't the only thing that made him feel that way though.

"Bones, you amaze me."

Brennan's eyes fluttered shut for a millisecond as she took in what he said. She knew it wasn't physically possible, but she felt as if his words had warmed her. As her eyes flickered back open, their grayish blue stared into his brown closer then she remembered him being before. He was leaning in towards her and for once instead of panicking at that prospect in general, she merely worried about their being in a store.

"Booth, stop." She muttered, smirking at him. "Not in _Party City_."

Booth moved his face away and reached for the handle of the cart, seemingly heading in the direction of a row of party hats behind her. Brennan giggled imagining Parker's face half covered by a hat with a humanized sea-creature on it. Suddenly, she felt a tapping on her shoulder and when she turned to face it, Booth's warm lips pressed firmly against her own.

The contact ended as quickly as it began and Booth was carefully slipping the elastic string of one of the_ SpongeBob_ hats underneath Brennan's chin before she could even react. Instead of feeling irritated that Booth had kissed against her will or thinking about what it would be like to have a child of her own, she simply looked at the matching hat upon his head and listened to him ask, _How cute are these?_ and started to laugh.

(*)

No matter how many times that Booth has been to what he often facetiously called 'Hodgins Manor', he could never get accustomed to its magnitude. It was just too big. No one needed a house that big. His garage alone was about the size of Booth's apartment.

"I still think that a moat and a drawbridge would be better protection for a castle than a password-protected gate…" He muttered as he impatiently tapped his fingers on the keypad attached the gate at the entranceway of Hodgins' property. It made a loud clicking noise and slowly opened away from the black SUV.

"Hodgins doesn't live in a castle, Booth. Castles are by definition fortified structures, predominantly built in the Middle Ages in Europe that usually served as the residence of a lord or a nobleman of which Hodgins is neither. They also typically had Gothically styled towers and…"

"It's huge, Bones. Castles are huge."

Rolling her blue eyes, she replied, "Believe whatever you want, Booth, but don't mention that castle reference to Hodgins. He's very temperamental when it comes to other's feelings about him being-"

"Richer than the king of England?"

"Wealthy." She corrected, smirking at the self-satisfied smile on his face. "And Elizabeth II has been the reigning queen of England for 58 years. There is no king."

It took almost a full two minutes for the SUV to zip up the half mile long driveway leading to the front door of the monstrous home. Booth turned off the car and jogged to the passenger side quickly making it in just enough time to open the door for Brennan before she could do it herself.

"I'm capable of letting myself out of a car, Booth." She indignantly told him, refusing to take his outstretched hand. Although their relationship had grown to include more physical gestures lately, she wasn't a damsel in distress.

"I know that, but can't you humor me just this once?" He begged, crooking two fingers of his outstretched palm towards himself, beckoning her. Brennan relented and laced their fingers. "Thatta girl." He applauded.

The two climbed the stone stairs leading up to Hodgins's front door hand in hand. Booth used his other to press the doorbell. A deep ringing echoed throughout the house. "Sounds a damn cathedral bell." He muttered under his breath. Brennan gave his hand a forceful tug. "Alright, alright. I'll behave."

Moments later one of the towering double doors opened, revealing a smiling Angela. "Hey you two." She greeted before her deep brown eyes darted downward to their hands. Her smile turned impish. "Good night?" The artist stepped aside, allowing them to step into the grand foyer.

"It was very successful. We bought an abundance of supplies, but Booth said it was all necessary." Brennan informed, admiring the large oil painting hanging on the wall besides the right side of the double staircase. "Ange, did you paint this?"

The brunette nodded proudly. "Finished it last week."

"It's beautiful." She complimented.

"Thanks, sweetie. I started another one this morning. I've just been very…inspired lately." She said with a breathy sigh.

Brennan smiled at her friend, remembering a conversation they when she first moved in with Hodgins about how there was nothing like being in love to boost her creativity. "I know what you mean." She had finished editing her novel just yesterday.

The artist's eyebrows rose. She crossed her arms, leaning back slightly. "Really?"

"Okay, enough of that girly talking in code thing. Where's my boy?" Booth interjected.

"They're in the lounge. Come on." Angela tilted her head, silently telling them to follow her.

The three adults walked through the lower level of the mansion. Brennan carefully watched Booth out of the corner of her eyes. She could sense every quip that was desperate to come through his lips, so she kept her phalanges tight around his.

As they approached the back of the house, noises of grunting, crushing, and chimes flooded their ears.

They pushed the door open to find Hodgins and Parker standing a few feet from the largest television Booth had ever seen outside of an electronics store, holding video game controllers. The father gulped at the monstrosity.

"Watch out or else the evil troll is gunna get you! We gotta get the magic coin! Get it! Get it!" Parker yelled out over the surround sound speakers.

Hodgins thumbs flew over the colorful buttons on the controller. Second later trumpets blared from the game and the screen flashed that they had moved up a level. "Awesome job, little dude!"

"Kings of the Xbox!" Parker cheered, high fiving the man.

"Well I'd hate to interrupt your highness, but if we don't get moving soon, we're going to get stuck in traffic." Booth spoke, announcing his and Brennan's presence to the child.

Parker spun around and launched himself at his father. Booth grunted when his little body slammed into his, but it didn't stop him from picking him up and hanging him upside down over his shoulder. The boy bent his elbows on his father's back, propping himself up to see Brennan standing behind them. "Hi!" He greeted, laughing at his current position.

Brennan beamed at him. "Hi." She said back, taking his little face between both of her hands and planting a kiss on his nose. She stepped back when he started to push himself up more to talk right in Booth's ear.

"Daddy, you gotta go see Dr. Jack's new car. It looks just like the batmobile!"

Booth raised his eyebrows at Hodgins. "Batmobile?" He asked, chuckling.

"You have your fantasies. I have mine." Hodgins brushed off with a straight-faced expression. "Want to check it out?"

Booth weighed his options: Being stuck in rush hour traffic or batmobile. "Can I sit in it?" He posed, narrowing his eyes.

Hodgins met his glare. "We'll talk."

Booth turned around, with his five year old still hanging over his shoulder. "We'll be over the river and through the woods."

"On the other side of the tennis courts across from the pond." Hodgins corrected from the doorway. "Now come on before I change my mind."

Brennan gave him a look, making it obvious she didn't appreciate the humor. Booth just flashed her his charm smile before walking off after the homeowner. Before they exited the TV room, Parker started to squirm.

"Hold on daddy." He wiggled down from Booth's shoulder and ran back over to Brennan. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Next time don't let work take so long. I missed you, mommy." He whispered against her shirt. Before she could reply, he took off after his father to check out the new vehicle.

Brennan kept her eye on her son until he was out of sight. She glanced at her best friend to find her jaw hanging open. "Ange, what's wrong?"

The artist laughed once. "You tell me _mommy._"

Brennan bit her lip. She hadn't discussed Parker's new term for her with anyone but Booth. Parker wasn't ready for anyone else to know and she became extremely uncomfortable knowing that his wishes weren't going to be carried out. "You heard him?"

"Yes, I heard him." Angela grabbed her forearm and dragged her to sit on the long, leather couch. The two relaxed into the cushions, facing each other. "When did he start calling you that?"

"When we went on that trip to Illinois a few weeks ago." She replied, liking the directness of Angela's questions.

"And you're okay with it?"

Brennan straightened her spine, slightly moving away from her friend. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"He's calling you mommy." Angela declared in a very clear tone. When Brennan didn't show any sign of responding, she pushed onward. "Brennan, he considers you his _mother_ now."

"I know, Angela. We've discussed it. I know exactly how he feels."

"And how do you feel?"

Brennan's face pinched in confusion. "In general or…"

Angela sighed. She had truly mastered patience being Temperance Brennan's best friend. "About him calling you mommy."

The anthropologist was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts about the past weeks. At some points she had felt overwhelmed. At others she felt scared beyond belief. There was only one word to summarize her emotions about the way her relationship with Parker made her feel however. "Good, Ange. It makes me feel better than I ever have. It's like there was a piece of me missing that I didn't even know about, but when I'm with Parker I feel whole."

Angela smiled warmly at Brennan. "That's great, sweetie."

"Your tone isn't very convincing."

"Since when do you pick up on tone?" The small joke was lost on the scientist, so Angela decided be completely candid. "I'm just worried."

Brennan stiffened. "You don't think I'll be a good mother?"

"No, you'll be an amazing mother. I'm worried about _you_, sweetie. Being his mother isn't a temporary thing."

Brennan scowled. Why do all these people keep telling her these things like she didn't know? Like she hadn't considered them? Like she didn't lie awake at night thinking about how everything she'd do for the rest of her life would affect him? "I know that!"

"Bren, please don't get mad at me. I'm just looking out for you. What are you going to do if Rebecca comes back?"

"She won't!" Brennan stood up from the couch. "She's been gone for over half a year, Angela. She doesn't get to just come back and pretend like everything is the same! He's is my son now. That won't change."

"Alright, sweetie. I get it." Angela stood up and walked over to her friend. She offered her a half smile. "Does it help if I say I'm happy for you?"

Brennan took a calming breath and nodded. "Yes. It does." She told her as they moved in to embrace each other.

"On a happier note, how's the birthday planning coming?" Angela asked as they pulled apart.

"I've learned that it's not extremely difficult to plan a child's party. Booth says that all they need is ice cream and cake to have a good time, although there is still the issue of where it will be held. Neither of our apartments is big enough to entertain 15 children." Brennan informed her about the argument she and Booth had been having for days now.

"Have it here." Angela offered without second thought. "Hodgins can even show the kids the batmoible." She laughed.

"Are you sure, Ange?" Brennan was weary, knowing how secret Hodgins liked to keep his residence. He didn't seem like the type of man to host any kind of party, let alone one with 6 year olds.

"Of course. We love the little guy too. It'll be one of our birthday presents to him." The two women heard footsteps coming from the hallway signaling the boy's return. "This is a great thing, sweetie, you being his mother."

The corners of Brennan's mouth turned upward. "It is."

Angela gave her friend one more comforting hug. She knew it was going to come to this all along.

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

_The clicking sound of high heels on the Jeffersonian floor matched the pace of the second hand on the small gold watch that Hodgins had bought for Angela. It was almost time to leave. She just finished a facial reconstruction for the latest skeleton that Brennan and Booth came back with; a twentysomething woman that had been found curled up inside of cabinet beneath a cash register at a confinement store. _

_Thank god it was the weekend. She needed some good R&R…or at least a nice Cosmo and a couple of good workouts in the bedroom. All that was left was checking in with Cam, grabbing her bag and getting the hell out of there._

_Angela spun the long string of blue sea glass stones that hung upon her neck around her long fingers as she walked past her best friend's office on her way to find Cam. Yet something stopped her in her tracks. She sniffed and as soon as she figured out what it was that she had smelled she grinned and turned into Brennan's office._

"_I smell childhood." Angela laughed as she crossed the threshold of the room, seeing a familiar little blonde boy sitting in her best friend's lap making shapes out of Play-Doh. "Hey, kiddo, what are you guys making?"_

"_Hi, Angela! It's a –"_

"_Actually, play-doh's aroma derives directly from the reaction of the combination of wheat flour, salt and the petroleum and borax additive that give the toy its feel and shaping abilities." Brennan interjected._

"_Sweetie, just stop analyzing everything. Enjoy the feel of creation in your fingers and let the boy tell me what he's making." Angela strode over to the desk that was serving as Parker's molding table and began to look at what he had created._

"_It's a leg bone! A fenur…a femil…" Parker's eyes beamed with excitement as he watched the artist study his formation._

"_A femur, Parker, and it is very good." Brennan praised him, gently brushing her nose in his hair. "Except that it's blue, of course." Both Parker and Brennan began to laugh simultaneously and Angela smirked, pleased that she could witness this moment of happiness. _

_Parker turned to look at Brennan but instead of focusin on her, his face became very serious and he pointed towards the clock behind her._

"_What time is it?" He yelped, unable to read what the hands of the clock were trying to tell him. Brennan spun her head around and squinted her eyes a little._

"_It's quarter after five, is everything okay?" She replied to Parker's inquiry, slightly worried at his panic._

"_It's time to feed the bugs!" Parker gleefully cried as he jumped from Brennan's lap, leaving his play-doh femur discarded, and ran straight to Hodgins' station in the inner ring of the lab._

_As soon as Parker had fled the office, Angela made her way to Brennan's couch and leaned against the plush, black arm. She watched her best friend's eyes as they followed the giggling boy through the lab._

"_You are so, totally wrapped around his finger."_

_Brennan avoided Angela's eyes and continued to scribble on the paperwork in front of her. "I don't know what you mean. It is physically impossible for a human…"_

_Angela wasn't going to put up with this. Brennan was falling in love with this boy already, whether she knew it or not, and like always the clueing in of Temperance Brennan was left to her._

"_Oh, don't give me your anthropological mumbo-jumbo. You know what I'm saying. I see the way you look at him. That tiny little ball of Booth mesmerizes you almost as much as the not so tiny one does. And that's saying something."_

"_Angela. I admit that I find Parker to be quite endearing and that I enjoy the time that I have begun to spend with him over the past months but I certainly would not use the word 'mesmerized' to describe my feelings towards him." Brennan chose to ignore Angela's comment about the bigger Booth and focus on the dispute at hand._

"_You are becoming his mother, Bren. That is a huge deal. Finding him endearing and enjoying your time together isn't even the beginning. He's learning how to build his world with you in it. You know how much milk to put in his Mac and Cheese to make it taste good and you know the super-hero name he goes by when he plays pretend. You tuck him in and read him bed-time stories when his Daddy isn't there. You pick him up from school and ask him what he learned that day. But he isn't the only one who is rearranging their world. I can tell. You are opening your heart to him; a little more every day. With every smile and every mispronounced word and every little thing he accomplishes that boy is going to turn your world upside down. You just have to be ready for it or else both of you are going to hurt."_

"_You're wrong, Angela. I am completely in control of my emotions. I am not his mother. Rebecca is. All I am doing is assisting Booth in a time of need." She stated decidedly._

_Angela knew by the tone in her voice that it was virtually pointless for her to argue. Brennan was going to think what she wanted to no matter how hard Angela tried to show her otherwise. All she could do was hope that when it finally did hit her, that Brennan would accept it and not run._

"_Whatever, Sweetie." Angela stood up and walked towards the door. "I was just on my way out for the weekend and I'm not in the mood to argue with you about this. Call me tomorrow? Maybe we can grab lunch on Sunday."_

_Brennan replied immediately, as if she were running on auto-pilot. "I can't. I'm accompanying Parker and Booth to the park on Sunday."_

"_Oh, okay. Well I'll see you Monday then!" Angela waved her hand through the air as she exited Brennan's office. Just helping Booth, my ass, she thought finally before focusing her attentions on the fantastic weekend ahead of her._

_Back in the office, Brennan turned to watch Hodgins lifting Parker by the waist so that he was high enough in the air to drop something into the large tank of insects that was kept in the Jeffersonian for research. She could see the excitement on his small face from he desk and it made her stomach feel fluttery. Brennan sighed, placing her elbow on top of her desk and leaning her soft cheek against her fist. It was in that moment that she whispered the words that she had desperately wanted to say when her best friend was there._

"_You're right, Angela."_

_

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	14. Chapter 14

_As always you guys are amazing! We couldn't ask for better readers! Some of you are asking questions that'd we'd love to answer, but we can't give too much away. We hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

Early morning sunlight stained the creamy walls of Brennan's apartment with an orangey yellow tinge. The deep silk curtains that were purchased to keep the rooms dark merely diluted them. The apartment ached with silence; one that was broken merely by the ticking of multiple clocks and bare feet carefully padding down the hardwood hallways. A nose poked itself out from behind a doorframe followed by a set of dark brown eyes. They focused on the bed pushed up against the wall opposite of the door and, more importantly, on the softly snoring woman curled up inside of it.

Booth smiled as he slowly tiptoed through the doorframe and to the edge of Brennan's bed. She shifted slightly in her slumber as his presence settled next to her. Booth lifted his hand towards her mussed bed head and ran his hand through the few strands that fell in front of her face. Brennan slowly opened her eyes and as soon as they met his she mumbled, "Good morning."

"Back at you, sleepyhead." Booth cocked his head to the side as Brennan stretched her legs out under her sheets. "It's time to start getting the best birthday ever ready."

Once Brennan had managed to open her eyes and crawl out of bed, she and Booth quietly relocated to the living area of her apartment. There wasn't much to do considering Parker's party was at Hodgins' house, but they wanted the morning to be special as well.

"Thanks for letting me and Park spend the night, Bones. I want this day to be perfect and I know that won't happen unless the three are together from the start. I am just so excited to spend every moment of this birthday with Parker. They used to be such a battle with Rebecca. " Booth said before he sucked the open end of a blue balloon into his mouth.

Brennan stopped stirring the pancake batter that she was preparing and looked up at Booth as he leaned against the counter in front of her. She could see the anxiety in his wrinkled forehead.

"Booth, you know you can stop thanking me for allowing you to sleep here. This is a second home to Parker and I hope it can be for you as well. As for today, disregard Rebecca. The two of us are more than capable of making this day everything that Parker deserves."

Her blatant attempt at soothing sobered Booth. He felt all of his apprehension fall away as he knotted the air filled balloon and watched Brennan return to her stirring. Booth considered picking up another deflated balloon but decided that looking at his partner was a better use of his time.

He thought she was gorgeous first thing in the morning. Her hair was tousled and a slight pink still remained on her cheeks from being pressed against her pillow. As if to punctuate his thoughts, Brennan suddenly yawned and rubbed her left eye with the back of her hand.

"Bones, why don't you go lay on the couch for a little while? I just finished the balloons and I can finish the stirring."

Usually Brennan would shoot him down and argue that she was capable, but her fatigue took over. He did wake her up early. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let him finish the batter. "Okay. Thank you, Booth. That's very kind of you."

Booth was surprised that she accepted his offer. Happy, but surprised. He walked around the counter and took the big wooden spoon from Brennan's hand, scooting her towards her living room. He began to lazily stir the mixture in the red mixing bowl in front of him. _The only thing that could make these better would be chocolate chips_, he thought. Although Parker loved pancakes, he knew no one liked regular pancakes more than chocolate chip ones.

Booth carefully watched Brennan as she curled herself up on the couch, tucking her knees towards her chest and burrowing her head into a throw pillow. He knew she had chocolate chips somewhere he just had to be quiet enough not to disturb her.

He kept one eye on her resting form as he soundlessly shuffled through her refrigerator. After a few minutes he spotted a yellow Nestle bag behind some jars filled with jam. He pulled it out, grinning with victory, and poured half of the bag into the pancake batter. He could smell the chocolate sinking into the concoction and he licked his lips in anticipation.

It smelled so good that Booth considered starting to cook the pancakes, but he listened to the emptiness echoing around him and decided that Parker wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon. He thought that the excitement that his son had exhibited in the weeks before his birthday meant that he would have been up at the crack of dawn. However, it seemed like God wanted them all to get some sleep.

Booth considered going back to bed with Parker until he looked at just how comfortable and warm Brennan looked sleeping on her couch. He reevaluated. That couch was definitely big enough for them both. It had to be. He silently crept towards the couch, watching as Brennan's soft, peaceful features became clearer as he neared her. Booth balanced a knee on the cushion below Brennan's bare feet and slid his body into the space between her and the back of the couch.

Almost immediately, Brennan's body relaxed back into Booth's. She stretched out her legs and rested her head under his chin. She fit into his body perfectly. Her knees bent where his could bend into their gap. The top of her head was close enough that he could smell her hair without moving. Booth could feel her breathing; he could feel the slow beating of her heart against his own chest. As he laid his hand upon her stomach, he could feel just how warm she really was.

It was intoxicating yet it was also incredibly soporific. It was merely moments before he joined Brennan in her state of slumber.

(*)

"IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAAAY!" Parker cried as he hurtled towards the living room couch and threw himself on top of his parents. Brennan cried out in surprise as Booth simultaneously grunted from receiving the majority of his son's impact. "It's my birthday!" He repeated, slightly lower in decibel then the first scream. "I'm six now!" Parker bounced up and down, shaking Booth and Brennan in his wake.

"Yes, you are bud!" Booth managed to get out despite both his shocking awakening and his worry that the boy would soon start to question why he had been found spooning serenely with Brennan on her couch, instead of in his own bed.

"I'm a big kid now!" Parker replied and he crawled off of them and started to bounce once again in a standing position next to the couch. _I guess he has better things to think about_, Booth thought, relieved that the morning wouldn't start with desperate explanations.

Brennan tried to focus on Parker's joyful excitement, but her body was on fire. She could feel every single spot that Booth's body was touching hers. It was as if she was hyper sensitive to everything Booth. Well, the bigger Booth. If she could pay attention to the smaller one then she would feel more comfortable. She had to move now or else she was going to find it impossible to move at all.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say a big kid quite yet…" Brennan began as she jumped up off of the couch and picked her son up in her arms. "…because if you were then I wouldn't be able to do this would I?"

Parker stuck his tongue out and smiled at Brennan before he leaned in rubbed his nose against hers. From his new position in her arms, Parker had a clear view of the bowl of pancake batter that had been left forgotten on the kitchen counter.

"Pancakes?" Booth nodded his head, knowing how much his son loved the dish. "Yay! Let's make them now!" Parker cheered as he wriggled himself down and ran into the kitchen. Booth sighed, swinging his legs across the couch so that they were resting on the ground. A sudden rush of bliss washed over him as he could feel in his gut that it was going to be a great day.

"Booth! Where did these chocolate chips come from?"

_Yeah_, Booth thought, _today was going to be perfect_.

About twenty minutes later, the pancakes were finally cooked and Parker's birthday breakfast began, despite Booth's multiple attempts to eat batter directly off of the stirring spoon behind Brennan's back.

Parker shoveled bites of pancake into his mouth so fast that it seemed the chocolate was already heightening his birthday high. "Park, slow down. You're going to give yourself a stomach ache before we even get to your party…and if you get sick I'm still going because there is going to be a lot of fun stuff at Dr. Jack's house." Booth said with a fake certainty.

"Daddy! I'm slowing down!" Parker laughed at his father while he actually did start to eat at a normal pace.

As they ate their pancakes and drank their respective juices and milks, Brennan and Booth shot down Parker's pleading questions as he tried urgently to find out any small detail that he could about his approaching party.

Booth reached across the table and ruffled his son's hair. "Don't try to rush through your day, bub, the time's gunna fly by."

"Because time does that when you are having an enjoyable time," Brennan smiled, proud of herself for recognizing a common colloquialism. Booth laughed outwardly as she continued, "Your father is right though, baby. Today is going to be a very fun day and I want you to enjoy it all. Didn't we already have a fun morning?"

"Yeah! We did. I didn't think birthday wishes would come true so quick." Parker's face lit up in a way that made it slightly brighter than it had been all morning.

"What was your birthday wish?" Brennan questioned Parker, pushing the impulse to prove that wishing was fruitless to the back of her mind.

"That you, me and Daddy could wake up together every morning."

Booth and Brennan instantly looked at one another. Waking up in one another's arms had felt so natural that neither could deny that the idea had run through their minds that morning. They stared at one another, boring into each other's minds trying to find a way to explain things to Parker, but both came up empty. Booth and Brennan could see in each other's eyes that neither of them could come up with a good reason that it couldn't happen.

"Oh, wow!" Booth exclaimed, changing the subject and shaking his gaze from Brennan's and redirecting it towards the clock on the wall. "Is it eleven already? I'm supposed to be over at Hodgins's in a half hour to help set the party stuff up." He pushed his chair out from the table and kissed Brennan's forehead, muttering in her ear. "Just focus on the party, Bones. It's okay."

"What'd you say, Daddy?" Parker piped up as Booth made his way around the table to place the same kiss on his forehead.

"Nothing, buddy. Just be good for Mommy, okay? Don't drive her up a wall before your party. I love you, kiddo and happy birthday." Booth punctuated his last statement with a fist bump against Parker's knuckles before he walked over to the front door and slipped his shoes on. With one last wave and a charm smile, Booth was out the door and on his way to perfecting the next stage of his little man's big day.

(*)

Brennan darted back and forth across the floor of her apartment, frantically trying to remember everything she needed to bring to Parker's birthday party. Hodgins's home was a good thirty minute drive from hers and their time constraint wouldn't allow her to turn around if she forgot anything. In her bag already sat her digital camera, batteries, and an extra t-shirt for Parker just in case he dove headfirst into his cake.

"Mommy, can we go now? Pleeeease?" Parker begged, standing by the doorway dressed his best in a short sleeved, casual button up top and khaki shorts.

"We can't leave until Russ drops off Hayley and Emma." Brennan told him for the hundredth time before sending Angela a text message to remind her that one of the children attending was allergic to nuts. She glanced up to find the birthday boy leaning against the brick wall beside the door, anxiously tapping his fingers on his stomach. "Parker, the party isn't for another hour. It can't start without you. Why don't you watch one of your animated children's programs while we wait?"

"Just call it a cartoon, mommy." The boy sighed in frustration before his face turned sour. "I don't wanna watch TV and I don't wanna wait for the girls! I want my party!" He punctuated his desire with a stomp of his foot.

His bitterness broke her continuous trance of birthday party essentials. She crooked a finger at him. "Come here, please." He skulked over, frowning. Brennan stooped down to sit in her knees, making her eye-level with the child. "Daddy and I have worked extremely hard to make your birthday special. I do not appreciate that attitude. Haley and Emma are very excited to come to your party, so we are going to wait here for them, patiently." Her unwavering tone held Parker's full attention. Disciplining him was still very new to the anthropologist, but she knew it was necessary to being a proper parent. "Now can you promise me that you'll behave today?"

He nodded, obviously ashamed of himself. "I will, sorry mommy."

"Apology accepted." Brennan kissed his cheek, bringing a smile back to his face.

Before she had time to rise to her full height, a knock sounded against the apartment door. Giggles could be heard from the hallway. "I'll get it!" Parker insisted. He ran over and twisted the knob.

Hayley and Emma burst into the room, attacking him with hugs. "Happy Birthday Parker!" They squealed. "We got you something really cool!" "We wore our pretty dresses!" "When are we going to your party?" "Our daddy said it's gunna be at a castle!" The jumble of words flew from the little girls' mouths at the speed of light. Parker just laughed at them and flew into a long description of the 'castle' they were heading too.

Brennan stepped towards the children, expecting to find her brother standing on the other side of the doorframe. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw someone completely different. "Dad."

Max Keenan's grin reached his eyes as he raised his line of vision from the kids to his daughter. "Hey, baby." He greeted, stepping into the apartment. Parker pulled the sisters to the opposite side of the living room to show them the mass of birthday balloons he'd woken up to.

"What are you doing here? I thought Russ was bringing them." Brennan spoke, feeling the sliver of uneasiness flutter within her that often arose with her father present.

"He got a call for a job interview this morning. He asked if I could drive the girls over. Plus, I couldn't help but come and wish Parker a happy birthday." Max reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a small gift. "This is for him." He trailed off, unsure of the appropriateness of his gesture. He had met the child a few times in the past and thoroughly enjoyed his presence.

"That was very thoughtful of you." Brennan told him as she turned to the boy. "Parker, would you like to open a present early?"

"Yeah!" The birthday boy dashed towards her, jumping with excitement. The wrapping paper was shredded under his hands. He lifted the lid off the little box and pulled out bag which tied at the top. He loosened the knot and reached inside. When he pulled back, there were several glass marbles in his palm. "Neat!" He exclaimed, lifting each one to examine them further. His mouth formed into a 'O' shape as he watched the colors inside the clear spheres dance.

"They belonged to Tempe's brother when he was your age. I've held on to them for a long time. I thought you might like to start collecting them." Max explained the sentiment behind the gift.

"These are awesome. Thanks..." Parker finally took his eyes off the marbles and looked to the right at Brennan. "Mommy, do I call him Max or grandpa?"

Awkward silence flooded the apartment in an instant. Brennan could find any words and neither could a stunned, but smiling Max. Parker tugged at the bottom of her shirt when it took too long for a reply.

"Parker, why don't you and the girls go to your room for a minute? Put your marbles on the nightstand so you don't lose them." The scientist spoke, addressing all three of the children in the room. He nodded and waved for Hayley and Emma to follow him.

When the kids were out of earshot, Max spoke. "Russ told me what you were doing for Booth and Parker."

Before he could say another word expressing his opinion over her life, Brennan started to speak, "I would prefer to discuss this at another time, but since you are already aware of our situation I feel comfortable telling you that I have stepped into the role of Parker's mother." Her arms crossed as she spoke, anticipating words of negativity. Everyone she had talked to about this had shared their concerns, so she expected no less of her father.

His reaction, however, couldn't have shocked her more.

Max walked over to his daughter and placed both hands on her cheeks. Looking directly into her eyes that reminded him so much of her mother he said, "I am _so_ proud of you."

"You are?" She asked in a small voice, suddenly feeling like a little girl again.

"Of course, honey. You are doing something so wonderful for that boy. You mother always dreamed that you'd know the love and happiness that came with being a parent." He lowered his hands, hugged her tightly before taking a step backward.

Brennan breathed back her tears. A new confidence burst within her knowing that her mother would be pleased by the new direction she was taking her life. "I'm hesitant to let you into Parker's life as a grandfather figure." She spoke clearly.

Max nodded. "I understand."

"I'll have to discuss it with Booth, but I would feel comfortable letting him build a relationship with you that is if you-"

"I do." He interjected. "Parker is an amazing boy. I'd be honored to be anything to him."

Suddenly a very eager voice sounded from the back of the apartment. "Mommmmmmy, can we come out now? Daddy's gunna eat all the cake and ice cream if we take forever!"

Both adults laughed. "You better get going." Max urged her. "Tell him happy birthday for me again. Russ will be here to pick up the girls at seven. Kisses, baby." He stepped to the door and walked out without another word.

(*)

Brennan stood on the stone patio leading off from the back of Hodgins's house overlooking the birthday party currently in progress. Her eyes found Parker in the crowd. The birthday boy was running towards a giant, inflatable moon bounce with a slew of his friends behind him. As he started to jump, the _SpongeBob_ party hat he wore slipped off the crown of his head and hung loose around his neck. The rest of the children's did the same. Angela had surprised them by renting the attraction that in all honesty almost enthralled Booth more than Parker. Watching the happy scene unfold, the scientist made it a note to thank Angela with the spa weekend she had declined months ago.

All of Hodgins's property that was visible from the backyard was decorated. A towering balloon archway served as an entry way to the main party area. Boat netting strewn across the bushes with happy sea creatures knotted within in to maintain the _SpongeBob_ theme. Blue and yellow streamers were wrapped around every stationary item including the outdoor furniture, gazebo, and even the trees that lined the estate.

The dining room that was situated just inside of the glass doors leading to the backyard was also clad in regulation _SpongeBob _birthday attire. Balloons floated all over the room and a large, colorful banner that read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARKER' hung across one of the walls. A few centerpieces of the cartoon characters sat in a row the middle of the long dining table. At every seat there was a goody bags spilling with candy and trinkets for Parker's friends.

All of Parker's guests were having the time of their lives. Even the parents who were in attendance seemed to be enjoying themselves as they conversed with one another and watched their kids play.

"This is amazing!" A cheerful voice sounded beside Brennan. Booth approached her with a green blowout hanging between his lips. The noisemaker had the face of _Squidward_, the cartoon's antagonist Brennan had learned, printed on it. He blew it once before sticking it in his shirt pocket.

She smiled affectionately at him, taking complete pleasure in the way his inner child had revealed itself since the festivities began. He pouted like an infant when he found out he exceeded the weight limit for the moon bounce made specifically for children. "The party appears to be a success."

"This is more than a success, Bones. I heard two of Parker's friends talking by the punch bowl. He's the coolest kid in town." Booth proudly boasted. From the time he woke, he prayed that the day would go off without a hitch and so far it had been nothing short of perfect.

"The party should heighten his status among his peers." She agreed.

Booth suddenly flashed forward to the next few years. "You know, we're probably going to have to rent out Disneyland next year if we're going to top this."

Brennan felt her insides warm at the thought of the three of them celebrating Parker's birthday for years to come. "I'm sure that would be doable."

The father's eyes widened. "You want to rent-" He stopped when he saw the smirk on her face. "Bones, did you just make a joke?"

"I'm becoming quite amusing."

Before they're conversation could continue, Hodgins came bounding towards them. Initially he resisted hosting the birthday extravaganza, fearing that his beloved secret identity as a billionaire would become public knowledge, but from the way he grinned like a schoolboy with a pair of party hats sitting on his head, both parents knew he was enjoying himself. "Parker wants to know if he can open his presents."

Brennan's face scrunched. "Why didn't he just ask us himself?"

"He's six, Bones. There's a moon bounce. The only way were getting him off is if he's getting toys." Booth placed the blow out back between his teeth and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Together they stepped off of the patio onto the lush, green grass. Booth blew a lungful of air into the device, snatching the attention of all the guests. "Time for presents!" He yelled.

(*)

"Cool! Hot Wheels! Thanks Ben!" Parker grinned at a little boy with freckles and shaggy brown hair.

"You're welcome." He politely replied, making his mother grin. "They're like the ones I took to school for show n' tell. You said you liked 'em."

Parker continued ripping open presents from his friends. Angela was the designated photographer for the day, so snapped pictures after every toy was revealed. Brennan knew that Parker was a very sweet with a lot of school friends, but she had no idea that their parents would be so generous. Legos and small figures of odd creatures a child had called Pokemon were just a few of the items he'd received. By the time he was finished with his friends' presents, Hodgins and Angela announced that it was their turn to top off the gift giving.

The man of the house strode over to his garden shed and when he re-appeared, he was pushing what looked like a miniature version of his famed batmobile. The ride on car forced gasped from every child in attendance. Parker jaw dropped as he raced over to hug him. "Thanks Dr. Jack!"

"You're welcome little dude. Happy Birthday!" The entomologist said, hugging the boy tightly.

Brennan looked at Angela with an expression the artist could read a mile away. She guessed it had something to do with the cost of the battery operated vehicle. "Don't even say it, sweetie. We love him. It's his birthday. He gets a cool present."

The scientist was suddenly aware of Booth's presence standing extremely close to her. "Where the hell are we supposed to put that?" He whispered in an amused tone.

Brennan shrugged suddenly aware that she and Booth would have to fit all of these toys into the two single apartments. "I think it's time for cake." She replied.

(*)

The party began to wind down around five in the evening. Many of adults had other children and families that needed to be attended to. Most of the energy levels of the five and six year olds had also diminished since their stomachs that were full of pizza, cake, and ice-cream settled.

Brennan stayed in the backyard with Parker as he bid farewell to his guests while Hodgins and Booth hauled all the presents to the garage so pile them into the SUV. Angela was off by the pond with Hayley and Emma pointing out all the turtles and fish that called it home.

Parker talked animatedly with a little girl with red hair and green eyes who if Brennan remembered correctly gave him 3D sidewalk chalk. The girl's mother approached her smiling. "This really was an amazing party. My little Sadie is definitely going to expect something just as big for her sixth birthday." She said with a laugh.

"It actually wasn't supposed to be this extravagant, but Parker's father and I have very kind friends who insisted on hosting it."

"You're lucky. Not just for that, but for Parker. He's a wonderful boy. Sadie always tells me how he made everyone laugh in school, even the teacher."

Brennan smiled as an eruption of delight grew within her. She experienced that same feeling every instance she heard another parent talking fondly of her son. "He is very humorous for a child."

The woman's expression turned more serious. She tightened her hold on the strap of her purse that hung from her shoulder. "My daughter also told me that he was teased because of some family issues and I don't mean to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong, but I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need another mom to talk to I'm more than willing to listen."

Brennan was taken aback by the woman's openness. Parker had refrained from calling her mommy in front of most of his friends. She understood. They all knew Rebecca as his mother, even though she had been absent for so long. Children their age wouldn't be able to process the change. No one was supposed to know about her role in his life, so Brennan has no idea why this woman was even speaking to her the way she was. "I'm sorry, how did you-"

"I know the way a mother looks at her child." She told her in an all-knowing tone. "My phone number is in the school directory if you ever need it. It really was a great party." The woman turned to her daughter whose lips were cherry red from the lollipop she was enjoying. "Come on pumpkin. We have to go pick up your brother from baseball practice."

"Ok, momma." The little girl said, reaching for her mother's hand. "Thanks for invitin' me!" She told Brennan with a big toothy grin. "Happy Birfday Parker!" With that, the mother and daughter retreated from the party.

(*)

It was way past his bedtime before Parker's combined sugar and birthday party high finally tapered out enough for him to fall asleep. Still, by the time his eyes closed, he was virtually knocked out.

"That kid isn't going to move for days." Booth chuckled as he leaned up against the refrigerator in Brennan's kitchen. He watched Brennan as she filled up a glass of water under her sink faucet. The look on her face could have been mistaken as fatigue but Booth knew better, it was melancholy.

Brennan could feel his gaze. "Would you like a glass?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks." Booth looked at his feet and balanced them on their sides. "What's going on, Bones? I can see a lot of thoughts running through that pretty little head of yours."

Brennan brought the glass of water to her mouth and took a heady gulp, finishing half her glass in one shot. Whether she was actually that thirsty or she was merely using it to buy time was imperceptible. Something was on Brennan's mind though and she was tired of being dishonest. She was tired in general.

"I hate that today was the first birthday I've spent with Parker. I hate how much I've missed. I hate that there are so many birthdays and Christmases and regular days that I've missed."

Brennan stopped and cradled her head in her hands. Booth knew she wasn't done speaking her mind but he wouldn't have been able to say anything either; her bluntness shocked him. He wasn't able to move his mouth but he was able to move his feet. He slowly walked towards her and took her in his arms, hugging her to his body as hard as he was able.

"There is so much of his life that I was not able to experience and there is still so much that I do not know about him. I feel as if I am being irrational and foolish, but I cannot ignore this feeling anymore. I know how small a human is as an infant, but I want to know how tiny he was on the day he was born. I am aware that a child's first words are often incorrectly pronounced and distorted, but I still wish I could have heard the first words that he first spoke. I…I just…I don't know how I can ever make up for that. For him and for myself."

At that point, Brennan had to stop speaking simply in order to calm down. There were few things in the world that she disliked as much as becoming helpless to her emotions. She buried her head in Booth's chest and started to force a steady pattern in her breathing. Booth felt crushed. He clutched the back of her head and kept it in its place, pressing soft kisses to every inch of her head that he could reach.

"Parker was born at 4:23 in the morning, 9 pounds, 5 ounces, 21 inches long." Booth whispered in her ear. Brennan looked up into his eyes with the remnants of started tears in her own. He wound his fingers through her hair and continued. "He was a big boy. It wasn't an easy birth. He pretty much gave Rebecca as much trouble as he could. Yet the first thing he did when he was fully in the world was smile, like he knew what he had done and he was already trying to charm us into forgiving him. For the first few months after he was born he smelled like baby powder no matter how much we bathed him. I could wash his hair with lavender baby shampoo but the moment he was dry he smelled of baby powder again. The first steps that he took were actually with me. He stumbled and fell the first few times that he tried to get up but he was so determined that he simply wouldn't give up until it worked. When he was four he wouldn't let anyone read him anything besides Love You Forever. If Rebecca or I tried another bed time story he would cry until we got that one from the bookcase. Mac and Cheese is his favorite food but the only reason he actually tried it for the first time was because they were shaped like Scooby Doo characters."

"I knew that one." Brennan smiled, staring tenderly up at Booth's gracious brown eyes. He reached the hand that was not anchored in her hair to her cheek and he ran his thumb over it.

"See, you know more than you think you do."

Brennan chuckled approvingly. "I guess I do have a somewhat comprehensive knowledge of his life."

_SIX MONTHS EARLIER_

"_Mmmm, this is really good." Parker complemented after he took his first taste of Brennan's famous macaroni and cheese dish. The little boy sat at her dining table, swinging his legs under the wooden chair that was a little too high to allow his feet to touch the floor. "Mac and cheese is my favorite. Before I didn't like it when it was regular so daddy got me the Scooby doo shaped kind." He took another bite. "But now I like all the shapes."_

_Brennan took a bit off of her own plate from her seat at the head of the table, diagonally across from Parker who sat at the side. She too thoroughly enjoyed the meal and it pleased her to know that Parker could enjoy food that probably tested his taste buds. She assumed that leeks, pancetta, and nutmeg weren't normal flavors of his diet. The anecdote he told made her smile though despite not knowing what Scooby-doo was. "That's very interesting." She said in regard to the tale._

_Parker's dirty blonde eyebrows dipped together. "It is?" He sipped from his glass. When he put the cup back down his upper lip shined with a juice mustache._

_Brennan laughed and reached over with her napkin to wipe it away. "I would like to learn more about you. Stories like that give me a better sense of who you are."_

_The little boy looked at her curiously for a moment. "We're still kinda strangers, huh?"_

"_In a sense yes, but I believe that most parents tell their children to fear strangers and you shouldn't be afraid of me."_

_Parker chuckled. "I'm not scared of you, Dr. Bones, but if you don't wanna be strangers then we gotta learn about each other."_

"_I agree." She said, finding his proposition very logical. "What would you like to know about me?"_

_He took another bite before asking, "Bones isn't your real name is it?"_

_Brennan laughed. "No. Bones is a nickname your father gave me because of my job. My first name is Temperance."_

"_That's pretty." He flattered. "Daddy should call you that more. But he really likes nicknames. He's called me bub forever." He paused before adding, "What do you wanna know about me?"_

_Brennan shrugged. "Anything you'd like to tell me."_

_Parker nodded and took another bite of his dinner before launching into ten minute long speech about everything he could think up about himself, from life as a kindergartener to his favorite games and toys. Brennan found out that he really liked learning but he hated it when he had to write with chalk because of the way it made his hands feel. She learned that no matter what time it was, his dad always let him stay up to watch the ending of a Flyers game. "What's your favorite sport?" He suddenly asked._

"_I don't watch or play sports." She disclosed._

_His reaction mirrored Booth's when he found out the same bit of information. "That's weird." He honestly replied._

"_I understand why you'd think that."_

_Moving on, he posed, "What's your favorite animal?"_

"_Dolphins." Brennan answered immediately. His expression told her that he'd like to know more so she cautiously explained her affection for the sea creature. "When I was young my mother and I liked to look at the stars. The constellation, Delphinus, was our favorite. Its shape resembles a dolphin."_

_She expected him to push for more information about her parents or memories involving her as most people did, but instead he innocently responded, "Would you show me one day?"_

_Brennan smiled tenderly at the child, touched that he'd ask to share something so personal. "Of course."_

_

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_Still liking it? Leave us your feedback!_

**_Also, this is being publish on one of your author's birthdays! Happy Birthday to Kimmy :D_**


	15. Chapter 15

_Okay guys, I'd just like to warn you all now: **THIS CHAPTER IS EPICALLY LONG**. Don't ask why or how, but you might want to take a break in between reading. I really don't think that we'll post another one so long (not soon at least) so don't get used to this, but take it as our little gift to you guys for all your amazing feedback! ENJOY!

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The dry august heat that had been oppressing Washington D.C. for the first week or so of the month was beginning to disappear with the setting of the sun. At the hour of six pm, the sun had lowered nowhere near the horizon yet the temperature had still dropped at least ten degrees in an hour. It wasn't much but it was enough for air conditioners to be turned off and apartment windows to be opened.

Inside Brennan's apartment, two miniature legs gleamed with sweat and dangled off the edge of a vintage dark mahogany vanity that sat in the corner of her bedroom.

"What's a gala?" Parker questioned as he swayed his head back and forth to the same beat as his swinging legs. He picked up a giant make-up brush and experimentally brushed the bristles across his cheek, the ticklish feeling making him giggle.

"Well, technically, a gala is an extremely extravagant and lavish social event." Brennan replied automatically. She continued to rub moisturizer deeply into her forehead until she caught her son's confused expression in her peripheral vision. "It's a really fancy party where your Daddy and I have to get dressed up and go talk to the other people that we work with."

Brennan smiled to herself and readjusted the neckline of the plush, cream colored cotton robe that she was sporting, proud of her ability to use what Booth often considered 'layman's terms'. Her joy was short lived though as Parker suddenly stopped fooling around with her makeup brush and gasped.

"No fair! A party? I wanna go, Mommy! Pleeeeeease, can I go?" He bounced up and down, shaking the vanity and making a couple of lipstick tubes and lotion bottles topple over with simultaneous clanks and thuds. Brennan frowned slightly as she reorganized her cosmetics with one hand and stilled her son with the other.

"Baby, you're making everything fall over. You know that this is just an occasion for grown-ups. Daddy and I would bring you if we could. The only reason we're going is because I won an award for work and I have to go receive it." She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, her exhalations tickling his ears. "It's all uninteresting people from work anyways."

Parker smiled a little. "I guess an award is kinda cool. I got a perfect attendance record at school last year. Is it like that?"

"Yes, it is slightly different, but just as important." Brennan tried to make her son smile but she could still see the sadness in his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

Parker huffed and wriggled away, defeated. "Daddy just gets to be your date to everything. He's a Mommy hog." Brennan couldn't help but smile at him.

The idea of being fought over by her Booth boys pleased her, no matter how irrational it should have made her feel. They had a talent at that, she had noticed, at making her feel things that she never would have before knowing them. If they didn't have that damn charm smile she might have remembered to be troubled by it. At this moment though, the lack of that smile on Parker's face is what was troubling her.

She reached over and took both of Parker's cheeks in her hands, cupping his chin and rubbing her thumbs across the apples of his cheeks that were, thanks to her make-up brush, slightly pinker than usual. "You're not going to be missing anything, baby. Actually, you'll probably have a more enjoyable evening than us. Guess who's coming to watch you tonight…"

Parker's face lit up. "Max!"

Brennan nodded, happy her little rouse had distracted Parker like she had intended.

"You're right Mommy; I am going to have more fun then you and daddy tonight!"

Brennan dropped her hands from Parker's face and turned to look at her reflection in the vanity's mirror, sighing in relief. Ever since Max had expressed his approval towards her role in Parker's life, she had been more open towards the idea of her father being a part of his life as well. Max had become the unofficial babysitter to Parker and his granddaughters and often their play-date chaperone as well. In fact, that night would be the first opportunity for him to bond with just Parker. Brennan knew how much Parker adored Max but seeing the sincerity in his excitement still relieved her immensely.

"Mommy, what is this thing?" Parker inquired slightly scared-sounding, interrupting Brennan's thoughts. He was holding an eyelash curler at arm's length, studying it without allowing it too close to his body. "It looks like it could hurt me….Could it?"

Brennan laughed loudly and took the tool from the worrisome boy's hands.

"Not if you know how to use it correctly." She placed the curler on the center of her vanity and glanced at the clock, mentally noting the amount of time she had before Booth was due to arrive.

"Now, Parker. I have a very important job for you." Brennan stated very seriously, capturing her son's rapt attention. "I need to finish getting ready for the gala before your Daddy comes to pick me up and I think you should be my assistant so we can amaze him."

"Okay, Mommy! We're gonna make Daddy's mouth hang all the way to the floor!"

(*)

About ten minutes later, Brennan was finally content with the application of her make-up. She had never been one to wear an excessive amount of cosmetics so she kept with the basics but gave them a mysterious edge; a discreetly smoky eye, light pink blush and clear gloss for her lips.

Parker had ultimately proved himself to be a good helper with the exception of one eye-shadow suggestion based upon the color's resemblance to his favorite jelly-bean flavor. He handed Brennan every container that she requested and even helped rub away smudged eyeliner when her hand slipped.

Throughout the entire process, Parker waited intently on his mother's next order which was exactly what he was doing when Brennan emerged from her closet with a dress in each hand.

"Okay, now this is the most important part. I couldn't pick which one I liked the most so you get to be the final decision." Brennan informed Parker as he smiled and moved his body so that he was sitting on his little fingers.

The two dresses were exceedingly different. The first resembled what she usually wore to Jeffersonian events, it was a stone grey cocktail dress with lace detailing along the underside of the bust. Slightly feminine but nothing that stood out too much. The other was an ensemble that she had bought on a whim. The moment that she had seen it, she knew it would look fantastic on her. She knew it was the kind of dress that would turn heads. It was strapless and its color resembled something of a deep plum. It hugged her hips and her chest and it fell right at the knee.

Parker stared at the dresses very intently, taking his responsibility very seriously. It did not take him very long to decide though.

"The purple one. Definitely." He stated, staring at it with a tilted head.

His response surprised Brennan although she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was because she was secretly hoping that he would choose it. "You sound very sure about your decision."

"Well, it's a no-brainer Mommy. Purple is a much prettier color then grey is and you look 'specially pretty you wear colors. Plus the purple one is littler and Daddy really likes when he can see lotsa your skin!"

"Parker Booth!" Brennan gasped; half shocked that something so mature could come out of a six-year olds mouth and half amused at his perceptiveness.

"Well, it's true, Mommy." Parker looked at her as if he was explaining the most basic of concepts. "You know those jammies you always wear when Daddy come over or picks me up in the morning?"

Brennan nodded, mentally scolding herself because she knew exactly which pajamas Parker was talking about and she did wear them every time that Booth came around early.

"Well, those are much littler than the rest of your jammies and Daddy always smiles bigger when he can see all of your legs and arms and stuff. So I think if you want to make Daddy smile, you should wear the purple dress." Parker finished his argument with a nod of his head.

Brennan was flabbergasted. She couldn't believe that her six year old was the person recommending that she wear a sexy dress for his father but she was going to take his advice all the same. He was right after all; she did want to make Booth smile. Unreasonable as it may have been, she wanted to make his jaw drop.

"ALright, you've convinced me. But now you have to face the other way while I put it on because I still have one final thing to ask of you in a moment." Brennan requested as she placed the spare dress carefully on her bed.

Parker obeyed and climbed into the stool below him. He kneeled on the hard seat and propped his elbows on the vanity's surface making popping noises with his lips. Brennan dressed herself quickly, pulling the warm fabric over the curve of her hip and adjusting the heart-shaped neckline so that it covered her black strapless bra faultlessly.

"Okay, baby. You can turn around now." Brennan instructed as Parker immediately whirled around in the stool so fast that he could barely keep his balance. His eyes lit up the moment his eyes focused on his mother.

"Wow, Mommy. You look pretty." Parker was completely in awe.

"Thank you very much, but we have one last thing to do." Brennan turned around so her back was facing her son. "Can you close the zipper please?"

Parker stood up on the stool so that he was tall enough to pull the zipper all the way to the top of her back but as soon as he placed his hands on the pull of the zipper a deep voice came from the doorway.

"Hey now mister, I believe that is my job."

Both Brennan and Parker snapped their heads around to see a very dapper looking Booth leaning against the doorframe of Brennan's doorway in a perfectly fitted tuxedo. A smile crept onto her face; he looked absolutely perfect.

Booth removed himself from his position in the doorway and walked over to his partner and his son. The closer that he became to Brennan the harder he had to force his lungs to keep breathing. He had never seen her look as stunning as she did in that moment. He thought she looked beautiful every day but what was before his eyes felt like a piece of artwork.

Her hair fell around her shoulders in loose tendrils and she smelled like warm vanilla. Her skin shimmered. She had put something on her eyes that had managed to make them seem sultry yet light at the same time and her lips looked like they would taste like fruit. His glanced down to her dress and he immediately felt as if he never wanted her to wear anything else. The color made her skin seem warmer. It clung to her in all the right places and looked as if it could have molded to her body. Just enough cleavage spilled over the top of her dress to make him feel on the verge of nervous sweats while still hiding enough to seem like a present waiting to be unwrapped. The curve of her ass deliciously transformed into a set of legs that already looked as if they went for miles without the assistance of a pair of heels.

He felt a flush creep onto his face as he looked at her. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive the evening.

Brennan had watched Booth rake his eyes over her body and she knew by his quickened breathing patterns that she had accomplished her goal. She knew she normally would have felt slightly objectified but in that moment she would have let him stare at her for as long as he pleased. An impatient sigh redirected her attention to the presence of her son, though, and Brennan figured she had to get things moving.

She turned her body slightly so that her back was facing the larger of the two Booth's and she pulled her hair towards the front of her body, exposing the bareness of her shoulder blades. She could feel his breath on the nape of her neck as he reached down and slowly pulled the zipper of her dress up until it was closed.

All of a sudden a loud thudding noise came from the living area of the apartment signaling Max's arrival. Parker cheered and leapt off of the stool scurrying in the direction of the front door.

Booth, who had not yet moved away from Brennan, took advantage of their solitude to plant his lips silently just above the zipper that he had just closed.

"You look gorgeous, Bones." He muttered as he continued to trace the skin above her dress with a line of whisper-soft kisses.

Brennan felt a shiver creep up her spine. "As do you."

Against her baser judgments, she turned her body around and away from Booth's ministrations. She smiled and allowed her hands to run up his chest to his tie. She tweaked it, checking the knot. "We should leave. It's getting late."

Booth nodded, allowing himself one last fleeting look at Brennan before reaching his arm around her body and placing his hand on the small of her back.

As he tenderly led her towards the door, something very troubling suddenly clicked in his mind.

"Was my son wearing make-up on his cheeks?" He gasped. Brennan chuckled at his overriding alpha-male tendencies.

"He was merely playing with one of my make-up brushes while I was getting ready. You can relax, he is just as much of a man as you are, Booth."

(*)

Booth clutched onto Brennan's hand as he pulled her through a crowd of chatting scientists and anthropologists towards the bar.

"Every time I come to one of these I feel like I'm at a freak convention. I mean do they ever get tired of talking about the degenerative life span of Native Americans or whatever…it's weird."

"Booth…" Brennan began, completely ready to refute his statement. She realized, though, that ultimately Booth was correct. Some of them were quite dull. "At least keep your volume low. These are my colleagues and they wouldn't appreciate being reminded of their flaws."

"But it's true, Bo – Reminded? You agree with me?" Booth beamed. He loved the rare moments where she agreed with him without a fight.

"Oh, just keep your voice quiet, please?" Brennan responded to his childlike delight. Booth merely laughed as they finally reached their destination. He gripped the edge of the counter as he leaned in towards the bartender so that he could be heard over the noise of the gala's guests but he was interrupted.

"Dr. Brennan! It's fantastic to see you. Congratulations on the award. I have an associate I would love to introduce you to…" A tall, gawky man in small glasses had approached Brennan. To Booth, he looked like every other Jeffersonian clone he had seen there that night.

Brennan looked towards Booth questioningly, as if asking permission to leave for a moment. It surprised Booth that she would ask permission for something of the sort but he gave it anyway.

"Hey, go ahead, Bones. Go mingle a little. I'll get your drink for you." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek before she followed the other man back through the crowd.

Booth turned around so that he was facing the twenty-something bartender once again.

"One whiskey for me and a vodka martini for the lady." He requested, without even having to think about what Brennan would have ordered. Booth drummed his fingers along the bar as the bartender handed the whiskey glass to him and started on Brennan's drink.

"Dude, your wifey is smokin' hot." He said as he dropped a toothpick pierced olive into the martini glass.

"Hey , kid." Booth said threateningly, forcefully putting his glass back onto the bar. "That is not how you talk about a woman. You've probably never been with one so I'll give you a get out of jail free card this time. But if you don't learn to respect them, you'll never even get the chance to be with one."

Booth grabbed the martini glass from the shocked bartender and picked up his whiskey. He was well aware that he had over reacted, at least a little but no one was allowed to talk about her like that.

As he turned away from the bar and spotted Brennan talking animatedly with her associates he allowed himself yet another longing glance at his date. Her hair still fell perfectly around her face and her dress still hugged her in all the right places. The bartender was right, she was hot. Still, no one was allowed to talk about her like that except him.

As Booth made his way through the crowd towards Brennan he noticed another person enter the circle that she was currently talking to. This new addition was nothing like the awkward looking men that surrounded her already.

Booth wasn't the kind of guy who would admit that another man was attractive but he could say with certainty that this new guy could compete with him if he wanted to. Which is exactly what it looked like he was trying to do.

Before Booth could even get angry, remembering the recent grocery store incident all too well, he saw Brennan politely, yet firmly, send the man away without a second glance.

He felt triumphant. He knew that she had promised him that she wouldn't go off with anyone else and he had definitely felt them getting closer to something more all summer but the prospect of life without her still scared him to death. Every time Booth saw her pick him over another guy it made him feel like he won the Stanley Cup.

By the time he reached Brennan, he was still smiling ear to ear. The people around her began to gesture goodbye due to the entrance of Booth but he didn't even notice.

"Sent him packing, huh, Bones?"

Taking her drink, Brennan smiled. "I'm not sure what that means, but if you're talking about that man then I see you didn't even try to feel sympathetic for his embarrassment."

"Hell no, Bones. Let's go find a table." Booth gulped down a large sip of his whiskey and laughed, feeling the burn of the liquid traveling down his throat.

(*)

"Well, we actually met in that café down the street from the Lab." Cam explained to Booth and Brennan, gesturing to her extremely attractive date sitting next to her.

Brennan had spotted her boss and her date from across the room and decided to go and sit with them while she and Booth finished their drinks. She was capable of taking part in small talk with the other Jeffersonian employees but she found it exhausting. She was much more comfortable being around people that she already knew in social situations.

"The one with those really good chocolate chip muffins?" Booth excitedly asked, craving one the moment the words came out of his mouth.

Cam laughed. "Yeah, that one. God, Seeley, do you eat anything without candy in it?"

"Meat." Booth said decisively. "I'm pretty sure chocolate would destroy a good steak."

Everyone at the table laughed. Brennan smiled though knowing that if he was ever actually offered a steak covered in chocolate he'd probably try it before sending it away.

The song playing throughout the room suddenly changed. Instead of the upbeat, jazzy music that had been favored for the majority of the event a song with a much slower pace began to play. It was _The Way You Look Tonight_ and Booth recognized it immediately.

He stood up and lowered his hand down towards Brennan. "Oh Bones, we have to dance to this. It's Sinatra. You can't ignore Ole Blue Eyes."

Brennan took his hand and allowed Booth to lead her to the dance floor. She offered Cam a smile as they left and saw her smiling back, shaking her head in a knowing exasperation.

As soon as they reached the center of the dance floor, Booth wrapped his left arm around Brennan's back and grabbed her hand with the hand attached to the other. He pulled her as tightly into his chest as he could. Brennan sighed and settled into his chest, allowing herself to melt into the warm, solid planes of his body.

As they began to move their bodies slowly to the sway of the song, their breathing began to match one another. Brennan could feel Booth's chest rising and falling in the same beat as her own and she listened to his humming turn into mumbling as he moved his mouth to her ear and began to softly sing the song.

"Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm and your cheeks so soft. There is nothing for me but to love you and the way you look tonight."

Brennan felt a wave of warmth roll over her. It must have been a mixture of his breath on her ear, the words he was whispering and the feeling of his body pressed up against her own but Brennan felt as if she could melt. She had never understood that expression and she had always demeaned it when Angela would use it to describe her emotions. Still, in that moment, it was the only way she could describe how she felt.

Booth continued to speak-sing through the song and Brennan continued to clutch on to him like her life depended on it. They both lost all sense of thought. Neither would have been able to even tell you if they were still dancing. All they could do was feel the music rushing through them and the pressure of each other's bodies.

As the song came to an end, both Booth and Brennan awoke from their trance and stared at each other with an intensity that had building since Booth had appeared in her bedroom earlier that evening.

Neither moved but they continued to stare, as if daring the other to make a move. Unfortunately, neither had the chance to.

"Whew." Angela gasped, fanning herself as she approached the two on the dance floor. "I just wanted to come and say my goodbyes because Jack keeps flicking that rubber band on his wrist and I figured it was about time to go but wow! You could get sun burnt standing next to you two for too long when you're looking at each other like that. I am going to go, Sweetie. Love you to pieces. But seriously…don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Angela backed away from the couple, smiling as hugely as her face would allow her to and not even giving Booth or Brennan a chance to respond. They stood shoulder to shoulder staring at where the artist had just stood, his mouth sat slightly agape while she pressed her lips together firmly.

Brennan was the first to break the silence. "Well, that doesn't really hinder us in any way…"

Booth looked at her confused face and laughed. "Bones, I'm pretty sure that was the point."

As her best friend's meaning finally clicked in her mind, Brennan joined in Booth's laughter. Then, once again, their moment was interrupted by a nervous tapping on Brennan's shoulder.

"Excuse me, Dr. Brennan?" A younger looking version of the standard run of the mill Jeffersonian clone stuttered nervously. "I was sent to find you and tell you that it's almost time for your acceptance speech."

As soon as he had finished his statement, he disappeared into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared. Booth chuckled. "A scaredy squint!"

His laughter stopped once he looked at his partner's face. He saw an unmistakable look of anxiety plastered all over her face. He didn't hesitate in taking her back into his arms.

"I hate these things. Conversing with multiple people at one time at these sorts of occasions are hard enough without having to seem humble and amusing in front of hundreds."

Booth hushed her quietly as her rocked her slightly.

"You're going to do great. I think you're very amusing. Not humble but you can be very amusing." He smiled at her to indicate his joke and rubbed his nose across the hairs at the top of her forehead.

"Thanks, Booth." Brennan returned his smile and tried to pull away but Booth kept his grip on her for a moment longer.

"Go get 'em tiger."

(*)

"So what do you wanna do? We can watch a movie or play with my blocks. No girly stuff though. We always gotta do girly stuff with Hayley and Emma. I have lots of fun toys from my birthday and mommy helped me pick out some new marbles to go with the ones you gave me! I have a bunch now." Parker enthusiastically spoke, bringing a bright smile to Max's face.

The older man thought back many years ago to the time when he was responsible for entertaining his own young son. If there was one thing he knew about boys it was that they loved any and all things disgusting. "I have a better idea. Where does your mother keep the laundry detergent?"

Minutes later Max stood at the kitchen counter while Parker stood at his side on a small step-stool. The boy had changed into an older t-shirt at the promise that he'd get dirty. "Alright, now we're going to stir up the water and laundry borax." The older man instructed. Parker did as he was told and stuck the spoon into one of the two cups in front of him. "No we mix the water and glue. Which food color do you want to use?"

"Green! It'll make it look grosser!" Parker exclaimed.

Max added a few drops of the coloring into the glue and water mixture. He helped Parker combine a little bit of the first mixture with the second and it tightened into a lump. The boy took it out and kneaded it in his hands. The material that was between a solid and liquid came together and apart in his hands. "This stuff is so cool!"

Thirty minutes later he was still squishing and rolling and pulling the substance apart, but he had relocated to the dining room table so he could sit. Max watched him happily and explained the science behind the goo. "There's water trapped inside the molecules and that's what makes it feel liquid, but if it's left out the water will evaporate so when you're all done we have to put it in an air-tight plastic bag."

"You know a lot about science. Did you teach mommy when she was little like me?" Parker asked, unaware of the sensitive issue he was bringing up.

Max look away for a moment, remembering a few of the moments when Tempe was little and he did share his knowledge with her. When he glanced back at Parker who was looking at him with his soft brown eyes that made Max understand how his daughter fell in love with the boy so quickly. "I taught her some things, but she liked to learn things on her own."

"Mommy teaches me stuff all the time. I like to play at the lab with Dr. Jack and Angie, too. He shows me bugs and she lets me play with her computers sometimes. Daddy says they're makin' me into a squint." He giggled. "But squint stuff is fun. I like doin' experiments just like tonight."

"Well making the goo wasn't really an experiment since we already knew the result."

"Not with the goo. With you being my grandpa." Parker recognized Max's expression as one that urged him to go on. "Mommy and Daddy said that I could pick what I wanted to call you, so I thought that if we had fun tonight then that means you could be a good grandpa."

Max felt his heart swell at the little boy's words. "And what'd you decide?" He held his breath, realizing that if Parker didn't want him as a grandfather he would be truly crushed.

"You're an awesome grandpa."

(*)

Booth rubbed his hands together as he exited the men's room to prevent himself from wiping his slightly damp hands on his tuxedo pants. After Brennan had finished her speech she was mobbed by well wishers and nervous interns waiting as if they were about to meet a celebrity. He figured he could disappear into the bathroom without being missed.

He scoured the crowd trying to find Brennan, expecting to see her in the middle of a crowd of adoring fans. To his surprise though, when his eyes finally found her they found her with only one adoring fan. A very interested in more than congratulations fan.

Booth felt his stomach drop. Not because he felt threatened. He could tell simply by looking at her that she was just trying to be 'humble and amusing' as she had been instructed. He felt that way because he felt inadequate.

When he watched Brennan giving her speech he had been overwhelmed by her. By her beauty. By her intelligence. Even by her ability to overcome her normal social awkwardness to charm a crowd in a speech. She could do anything that she wanted and be with anyone that she wanted and she was wasting her time with him.

She could have one of the brilliant, handsome scientists that were fawning over her on her arm. Instead she was spending her days helping a former gambling addict take care of his illegitimate son because his mother had picked up and left. He had no idea whatsoever at why she would waste her time with someone like himself.

"Booth. Is everything alright? You have the same look on your face as you do in the interrogation room when you really want to hit something."

Apparently he had been too caught up in his guilt to notice that Brennan had broken off her conversation and appeared directly next to him.

"Why are you settling?" Booth asked just loud enough for Brennan to hear him.

"What do you mean?" She pleaded. She placed her hands on his upper arm, trying to calm him.

"Why are you settling, Bones? You could have anything and anyone. You could have everything. You could live in an expensive as hell apartment with a man who has the brain of a rocket scientist and the looks of a model. You deserve more than playing house, Bones. You deserve more than to have me drag you into my messed up life…"

"Hey." Brennan interjected forcefully. "I enjoy every moment of this life we're leading. I told you before that I have never felt as if you were trapping me into anything."

"But you can do so much better, Bones." He whispered.

"No, I would have to disagree. Parker is the greatest little boy that I have ever met. I didn't know how much I could love a child before him. And You. You have a compassionate heart and you are the most loyal person I have ever met. You are an incredible father and an incredible person. I have seen you on your good days and on your bad days and you have never once sacrificed your morals or your thirst for truth. You are an incredible man, Booth. I am perfectly happy."

"Really?" Booth turned to look into her eyes and he saw his answer there before she could respond with words.

"Yes, really." She let her words sink in before she continued. "Plus, I already have an expensive apartment."

Booth let out the breath that he had been holding with a heady chuckle. "Yes. Yes, you do." He felt beyond relieved. He knew that he had surprised Brennan with his intensity but her sincerity untied the knot in his stomach immediately. As he watched her beautiful face trying to comfort him he realized how much better of a person he felt around her. He realized how much better of a person he was because of her.

Brennan tilted her head like she was still trying to figure out what was going on in his mind. "Let's go sit."

She laced her fingers into Booth's and dragged him to the nearest table, keeping their hands attached as they sat.

A little over a half an hour later they were in exactly the same place.

"I am so bored." Booth whined, banging his head on the table in front of him and sounding exactly like his son.

"Booth, stop acting like Parker. You are not six." Brennan scolded playfully.

"Boooones." He continued, refusing to stop.

"Fine, I must admit that the party has reached that point in which the intoxication has turned to fatigue and all of the social anecdotes have already been used."

"Yes, also known as the point when the bored guests escape to the coat closet to slide into second base with their date. What do you say Bones? Wanna play some baseball?"

Brennan, recognizing the colloquialism that Booth was referring to, was astounded. "Are you being serious?"

Booth couldn't decide whether her expression was intrigued or if it was reluctant so he denied it. "Of course not, Bones. I graduated from closet feel 'em up a long time ago."

"Oh. I assumed as much." Brennan responded curtly even though Booth could've sworn she looked slightly disappointed.

A silence fell over them as they glanced around the room trying to find anything else to relieve their boredom. As they came up short once again, a small yawn escaped Brennan's lips.

Booth redirected his attentions to her and suddenly knew exactly what they could do.

"You want to go home and see Parker?"

Brennan's face lit up. "That's exactly what I want to do."

(*)

Brennan unlocked the front door of her apartment and stepped inside with Booth right behind her. The two were met by the Max's smiling face as he wiped down the dining table with a damp paper towel. Despite his initiative to clean, Booth spotted a green, gooey substance hanging off the edge of the table. "I'm not even going to ask what you guys did tonight." He grumbled as he loosened the knot on his tie and pulled off his suit jacket.

"We had a good time. I'm sure Parker will tell you all about it tomorrow." Max told them with certainty. "How was the party?"

"It was rather enjoyable. Conversing with the other guests was tedious, but the music was lovely." Brennan answered. "Thank you for taking care of him."

"It was my pleasure, but I should get going. Long drive home." He kissed his daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, honey. Anytime you need someone to watch the little guy just give me a call." He shook Booth's hand and then stepped out.

Wordlessly, both adults moved towards Parker's bedroom. Only a blue moon night light plugged into the wall illuminated the room. Dozens of star stickers glowed green on the ceiling. Brennan remembered when he asked her to help him align them in accurate constellations. She could also recall the indescribable feeling when he requested to reproduce Delphinus right above his bed.

The two walked towards the bed and split so one sat on both side of the child. Brennan leaned down and placed her lips on Parker's cheek. She kissed his baby soft skin a couple times until he slightly woke. Groggily, he cracked his eyes open. He smiled sleepily when he recognized the two bodies weighing down either side of the mattress. "Hi."

"Hey, bub. Did you have fun with Max?" His father asked gently.

Parker nodded. "He passed the grandpa test."

Booth glanced at his partner knowing that whatever feelings he had about Max being in Parker's life took second place to hers. He felt a calming sense of relief when he saw her smile. "I'm glad." She said.

Brennan's cell phone started to chirp from the living room. She went to stand up, but Booth placed a hand on her shoulder stopping her. "I'll get it. You stay here." He kissed his son on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, bub."

With that, the father quietly strode out of the bedroom.

"Did daddy smile a lot?" Parker quietly asked.

Brennan grinned at her son who was truly wise beyond his years. "Yes, he did."

"Did you get a big trophy?"

"No, just a plaque to hang on the wall."

"I'm proud of you, Mommy." He pulled his arms out from under the covers and held them out. Brennan leaned down to pull him into her warm embrace. The scent of his children's shampoo invaded her nostrils. The downy soft material of his pajama shirt felt like velvet against her bare shoulders.

"Thank you, baby." She whispered as he fell back against his pillow. "You get back to sleep. Goodnight." She pecked his cheek once more and moved off of the bed.

When she stepped into the undone hallway she found Booth leaning against the wall. He'd lost his silk tie. The top button of his white dress shirt was and his suspenders were hanging loose around his hips. She noticed him holding her cell phone. He stared at the screen. "You looked beautiful tonight, Sweetie. I hope studly ripped that dress of you by now. Call me with the details tomorrow." He read with a smirk.

Brennan shook her head slightly at her friend's salacious message. "This dress is expensive. Ripping it off wouldn't be sensible."

"I wouldn't dare harm that dress." Booth retorted as he handed her the phone. He surprised himself with his response. He blamed it on the whiskey running through his veins. Before it could go any farther he spoke, "I should go."

Brennan's eyebrows dipped together. "You've been drinking."

"Two glasses. I'm hardly buzzed."

"Stay here." She insisted before adding a sweet, "Please."

Booth groaned. How was he supposed to say no to that? "Alright, I'll go push Park over." He took one step towards his son's bedroom before he felt a tug at one of his suspenders. "Bones…" He warned.

"Don't wake him up again. My bed is bigger." She told him, stepping backwards and pulling him with her. She could see the hesitation in his eyes. "I promise no funny business."

They both laughed at her use of the phrase she had learned from him.

Twenty minutes later they both slipped into her queen sized bed. She stayed true to her word and didn't press herself against him despite her body aching to. They stayed quiet, listening to each other breath until she spoke, "Parker said he was proud of me."

Booth smiled and draped his arm over her stomach, pulling her close. "I'm proud of you too, mommy."

_ONE MONTH AGO_

_The intense sizzle from the grill told Booth that his culinary masterpiece would be ready to serve any minute. He gazed over the heating grid and a surge of masculine pride shot through his body. There was nothing like cooking out with delicious food for a 4th of July celebration._

_Brennan had surprised him and Parker by reserving the roof of her apartment building for the three of them only. On the top floor were a pool and a canopy covered lounge area. She also arranged for quite possibly the fanciest grill he'd ever used to be delivered and set up by the lounge. While he showed off his skills as a barbeque master, Parker splashed around the water enjoying the fact that he had it all to himself. Brennan kept a watchful eye on them both as she soaked in sun rays._

_As Booth reached for a t-bone steak with his stainless steel tongs for a final turn, he felt a soft hand smooth across his shoulder and settle on the nape of his neck. "I'm impressed." She voiced._

_His grin reached from ear to ear. "Told you I could whip up more than the standard hotdog and hamburger. Here we have a classic steak with peppers and onions for yours truly." He pointed to each food as he announced it. "A slider burger and sweet potato wedges for Park to scarf down and for my favorite vegetarian, a couple grilled mixed vegetable kabobs with a portobello mushroom and parsley salad." He poked a juicy mushroom with a fork and held it up to her mouth._

_She removed her hand from his neck and closed her lips around it. "I am very impressed." Brennan revised her last statement. "Everything else looks delicious as well, Booth." She complimented._

_He turned his head and let his eyes quickly roam her body that was clad in a yellow, cotton sundress. "I'll say."_

_She smirked at his comment, but didn't speak any word of protest. Instead, she offered him the glass she held. "You didn't have to make everything today."_

_Booth sipped the festive red mixed drink and immediately his taste buds puckered. "Whoa!" He took a quick inhale of breath. "That's strong. You trying to get me drunk?" He teased._

"_Of course not. The amount of alcohol in the drink in comparison to your body weight isn't nearly enough to get you intoxicated." She explained, taking a sip of it herself._

_Booth smiled and transferred the cooking food onto serving plates. He turned his head over his shoulder. "Time to get out of the pool, bub!"_

_Parker scowled but started to kick towards the ladder._

_Brennan stayed at his side and quietly spoke in his ear, "So, is that apron a suggestion or a demand?" Her eyed darted to the garment he wore. "Kiss the Cook?"_

_Booth looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "First the drink and then asking about a kiss? Feeling naughty, Bones?"_

_Wordlessly, Brennan answered him by planting her lips on the apple of his cheek. Before his cheeks could blush, she stepped away from him and helped Parker towel dry himself._

"_What time are the fireworks, Mommy?" The boy asked as he ran a towel back and forth over his messy hair._

_She laughed when he took the terry cloth material off of his head and revealed extremely disheveled blonde locks. "They're scheduled for nine o' clock, but in years past I've learned that they normally begin a few minutes late."_

"_What time is it now?" His impatience was evident._

_Brennan lifted her wrist to him so he could see her watch. She'd been trying to teach him how to tell time. Even though it was a skill that was usually learned in second grade, he asked her to teach him so she couldn't refuse. _

"_The big one is after the seven, so it's seven somethin'." He knew how to tell the hour, but being able to count by fives to find the minute was too difficult._

"_That's correct." She praised. "It's actually 7:18 so the fireworks will start in a little less than two hours."_

"_Ok, let's eat. I'm starvin' like Marvin."_

_Brennan looked at him curiously. "Who's Marvin?"_

_Twenty minutes later parker was beginning to jump back in the pool. "I don't think so, Park. It's getting dark and you've got a full belly. I don't want you to get a stomach ache." His father declined._

_Parker let out an unhappy sigh, but nodded causing few stray drops of water trickled off the ends of his hair. "So, how come there's always fireworks on the 4th of July?"_

"_A long time ago, on July 4th, America became its own country. It's like America's birthday."_

"_Actually the Declaration of Independence was only signed on July 4th, 1776. It wasn't ratified until July 6th so technically-"_

"_Bones." Booth harshly whispered and made a hand gesture across his neck. He taught her that it was a signal to stop talking so that's what she did. "What Mommy said is true, but we still celebrate on the 4th."_

"_How did we get to be our own country?"_

"_The Revolutionary War." Brennan replied. "American soldiers fought against British soldiers."_

_A fact that he'd heard from his Uncle Jarhead about his father suddenly popped into Parker's mind. "Daddy, did you fight British people?"_

_Both adults stiffed at his innocent question. Brennan eyes immediately averted to Booth who shifted uncomfortably in his seat under the steady gaze of his son. She knew he wasn't ashamed of his time in the U.S. Army, but it certainly wasn't something he liked to discuss at the drop of a hat._

"_No, Parker. When I was in the army, America was at war with a different country."_

"_We didn't lose right? Cuz if we lost then we wouldn't have 4th of July."_

_His childlike reasoning tugged at Booth's heart. "Everyone loses when there's a war, bub. It's never a good thing." He looked at Brennan. "Unfortunately, it's inevitable." His words made it clear that he listened to every one of her anthropological explanations about the issue. "We celebrate the positive outcomes of war and we remember the soldiers who went to heaven because of it, but we never celebrate the war itself."_

_Parker was quite while he processed the information. When he finally spoke, neither of his parents could have anticipated his question. "Did you know soldiers who went to heaven, daddy?"_

_The back of Booth's eyes stung with tears. His voice turned horse when he answered, "Yeah. I did." He took a steadying breath and then decided to tell his son a story he'd been waiting to since the day he was born. "When I was in the army I made a really good friend. He was younger than me, but he was really funny and kind. He ended up going to heaven during the war. His name was Teddy Parker."_

_His son's eyes lit up. "Like me."_

"_Exactly like you. That's who you're named after, one of daddy's best and bravest friends."_

"_I like my name." Parker told him sincerely. "So since today isn't America's real birthday I can just have fun for you and Teddy and all the other guys who were in a war?"_

"_You sure can."_

_Parker scooted himself off of his chair and climbed into his dad's lap. He hugged him tight and whispered. "I'm proud of you, daddy."_

_The father hugged him tighter and buried his nose in his son's untamed hair. He breathed in deeply, letting the scent of chlorine and little boy consume him. "That's my favorite thing in the world to hear, bub."_

_Parker pulled back with a happy smile. "Can I play with the sparklers now?"_

_Booth laughed. Sparklers were his son's favorite part of the Independence Day. They were banned on the National Mall, where most D.C. citizens went to watch the firework display, but Parker's love of the blinding, crackling sticks kept them far away from any monument each year. "Go ahead." He nodded towards the long, small box lying on a plastic poolside chair by his damp towel. "Bring 'em over and we'll try not to burn down the building."_

_A little over an hour later, Parker was staring upward towards the sky, entranced by the explosions of bright colors and deafening booms. Booth and Brennan laid back on a large cushioned lounge that was big enough for two. His arm was snaked around her shoulders. Brennan wanted to close her eyes when the soothing sensation of his playing with the ends of her hair engulfed her, but she didn't want to miss the show of low explosive pyrotechnic devices. Her eyes moved back and forth from the sky to her son, making sure he didn't move too close to the edge of the rooftop. When she finally gathered the courage to look at her partner, she found his eyes steadily gazing at her._

"_You're missing the fireworks." Her voice was so quiet that he wouldn't have heard her if they weren't so close._

"_No, I'm not." He confidently replied._

"_Thank you for naming Parker after your friend." Her gratitude caught him off guard, but it made his chest ache with joy. "I know how important a name is and Parker's is absolutely perfect for him."_

"_I agree." Booth smiled down at her expecting that his words were the end of their conversation, but then he felt her shift closer to his side. _

_And then he felt her hand move up his torso to rest in the middle of his chest. And then he felt her warm breath on his ear. "I'm proud of you too, daddy."_

_It didn't matter if it was 80 degrees outside. Booth shivered at her words. Nothing he'd ever heard was so affectionate, yet so sexy at the same time. Before he even had time to catch his breath from the treat Brennan had just given him, she outdid herself by dropping her lips onto his. Their mouths moved together in a dance as old as time. A low moan sounded from Booth's chest when her leg bent and rose to lie across his. She took advantage of his moment of weakness to slip her tongue between his lips. He felt her smile against when he fervently responded, but his excitement was nothing compared to hers. Each time Booth would tighten his hold on her body or caress her in a new place that was still a mystery to him, she'd grind herself deliciously against him or whimper in a way he never would have dreamed would be so sensual. _

_He'd never known this dominant side of his partner. The seductive, assertive woman who knew exactly what she wanted and knew exactly what she needed to do to get it. In that second, when her hand slipped under the hem of his t-shirt to stroke the taught skin over his stomach, he knew he wouldn't ever get enough of this. Of her. Of them._

_A series of loud, repetitive booms pounded in their ears. He knew that meant the finale. This was almost over. Parker wouldn't be distracted anymore. With extreme reluctance, Booth pulled away and planted two more quick kisses on her lips before adding a little more space between them._

_Brennan was so busy trying to catch her breath that she hardly heard Parker squeal, "That was SO awesome!"_

_Booth looked up at the stars. "You have no idea."_

* * *

_If you finished this I applaud you. Please tell us your thoughts/questions/likes/dislikes :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Ok, long authors note this time._

_1) We love you guys so much. Thanks for reading and being so into this story!_

_2) We want to make it clear that this is **not **a fairytale or lifetime movie. There won't be rainbows and sunshine in the end nor will there be so much angst that it smacks you in the face. Trust us that all your questions, worries, and comments will be considered and hopefully satisfied by what we write._

_3) The more you mention Rebecca coming back the more you make Kimmy want to have her show up and kidnap Parker. This will not be an angst fic that you've probably seen on this site before! Calm down guys. Really. I'm not saying she will or will not come back but please don't think this is ending with some big legal battle._

_4) The next update could take some time to get up. Your authors are college students who are going to get very busy, very soon. We won't abandon this fic, but we might not be able to update every few days._

_Now I will get off my soapbox. Enjoy!_

* * *

"_Do you think they're serious?"_

Brennan's ear zoned in on the conversation that was happening on the other side of the van parked beside her car. The scientist stood outside of Parker's elementary school waiting to hear all about his first day as a big, bad first grader. His father's words.

Because it was a special day, she had arrived earlier than normal and noticed a few other mothers she recognized from days past gathered by the vehicle adjacent to hers to converse. She knew that eavesdropping was a frowned upon practice, but she was an anthropologist. Her intentions were only to observe.

That was until the next sentence out of one of the women's mouths made her jaw drop.

"_Rebecca did say that he always pined after her even after she turned him down. I bet he's just using her to look after Parker until she comes back."_

If she had to describe the feeling those words gave her, she would compare it to being punched in the stomach. Brennan couldn't wrap her mind around it for the first few seconds. These women were talking about her. About Booth. About their son. Not even five feet away from her!

Brennan couldn't decipher a few of their words that were whispered. They apparently weren't oblivious to her presence. The possibility that they could be purposefully insulting her crossed her mind. She leaned against the car door. For a moment she considered jumping inside the Prius, but she couldn't move a muscle.

"_Where do you think she went anyway?"_

"_Not sure, but she's got to come back soon. Parker deserves to have his real mother in his life, not some poor substitute."_

In an instant, every ounce of dejection she was experiencing was replaced by rage. Pure, unadulterated anger.

Temperance Brannan had been called many things in her life. Nerd. Robot. Orphan. Clumsy. Rude. Cold. As she grew older, she learned how to compartmentalize the slurs into the farthest part of her mind. However, no offense she'd a been victim of had ever pierced her heart in such a way that being labeled as a 'poor substitute' of a mother had.

That she could not compartmentalize. That she could not ignore. She tried to stay rational. They didn't know what Rebecca had done. They didn't know about her relationship with Parker. Or Booth for that matter.

Rationality though was failing her at the moment. Rebecca didn't deserve to be in Parker's life. Booth would never use her and objectively she felt that she was a very good mother. These women should not make assumptions about something without having all proven data. All they had was assumption and hearsay.

She tried to fight the urge to correct them. The last thing she needed to do was make a scene outside of Parker's school.

"_I mean does she think that anyone would take her being a part of his life seriously? They're just partners."_

Brennan clenched her teeth. _That_ she couldn't let slide. She took one step across the asphalt before a sea of children spilled through the school doors. Knowing that Parker would be at her side any moment, she decided to move right back to her car.

After three very long minutes, her eyes finally spotted Parker in the crowd. He waved goodbye to his friends before breaking off into a run across the front yard of the building. Brennan's smile grew as he got closer. His shirt collar was sticking up on one side. There was a green grass stain on the knee of his brand new pants. Her boy.

He collided into her with a hug. Brennan squeezed him tightly and lifted him off the ground for a second before placing him back on the ground.

"I love first grade! My teacher's name is Ms. Cline and she's really nice. She told us we were gunna learn to read a whole lot of words and I told her I already knew a whole bunch cuz we read at night. We got science workbooks too! I wanted to show you but we have to keep them in our desks." When his rant finally ended he just looked up at her with curious eyes. "Why are you so quiet, mommy?"

Brennan ran her hand over his hair. "I just wanted to hear everything you have to say. I'm glad you had a good day. Let's get to the lab so you can tell everyone else about it, okay?"

He nodded and jumped into the backseat when she unlocked the door. As she leaned into to buckle him in correctly, she remembered the stop she had made on the way to the school at a convenience store. "Oh, I almost forgot." She reached into her purse and pulled out a pack of candy she decided that he'd appreciate.

Parker's brown eyes widened. "Twizzlers?"

"And you don't even have to share them with daddy." It was rare that any candy made it through the Booth household without being split between the two.

He leaned in his seat and kissed her on the cheek. "You're the best mommy ever!"

(*)

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that the little guy is with Jack now. He had some sort of South African beetle that he 'just knew Parker would love'. Sometimes I wonder who gets more out of that relationship…" Angela had wandered into Brennan's office, already talking before she even noticed whether or not her best friend was actually listening to her; which she wasn't.

As soon as Angela had situated herself comfortably on Brennan's couch she looked up towards her and saw that she was typing vigorously on the keyboard of her cell phone, completely unaware that someone had just strolled into her office.

"Sweetie." Angela tried to get Brennan's attention, surprised to see the pile of untouched paperwork lying in the center of the desk in front of her. Her attempt failed though, so she spoke up louder. "Earth to Bren!"

Brennan's head snapped up, her focus finally moving from the LCD screen of her phone to her best friend's face. "Oh, hi, Angela. I didn't notice that you had come in. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Parker's with Jack but that's irrelevant. Who might we be texting so furiously? Especially when there is work to be done." Angela knew the answer to her question before she had even posed it but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to put her two cents in about Booth and Brennan's relationship.

Brennan brushed off the suggestive question, "I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of a text message. It was simply Booth telling me that he'd be a little late."

Angela shook her head; Brennan was not getting off that easy. "Sweetie, I am loud talker. You are either rapidly becoming deaf or there is more in that message then you're letting me know."

"You're being ridiculous."

"I'm not stupid. I saw you tearing off that man's tux with your eyes, and practically even your hands, on that dance floor at the gala." Angela couldn't help but feel a little frustrated that Brennan wouldn't talk to her. She wanted her answers though, and she knew exactly what to do.

She propelled herself from her sitting position and flung herself towards Brennan's desk, grabbing the dormant cell phone and flipping it open in one motion. "Where's the inbox button again?"

As Angela laughed, Brennan jumped from her desk and continued to chase after her friend. The two dexterously maneuvered their way around the multiple obstacles that were scattered around the office. Angela let out another joyful laugh. She was the only one enjoying the game.

"Angela! At the moment you are acting very juvenile! I would appreciate it greatly if you would return it to me immediately."

Angela grinned as she ran behind Brennan's desk and used the desk's accompanying chair as barrier. "Aha! Found it. 'Hey, Bones. I'll be a little late. Needed gas in the car, be there in soon.' Well, that's no fun."

Her eyes grew even big though as she pressed the 'next' button. "Oh, wow this is what I'm talking about, sent right after that one. 'I can't wait to get home tonight. We need a murder soon; I've been missing you all day.'"

Brennan closed her eyes in anticipation of her friend's impending reaction. That text message had initially caused a pleasurable flush to creep upon her cheeks but the blush she felt now was nothing like that one. "Angela don't-"

"Sweetie, the man wants someone to die so he can see you during the day again. Please tell me you're going to have a summer wedding. I look great in summer colors."

"Angela, we're not getting married."

"Bren, let me tell you something. You two are already married, practically. The only difference is that you aren't sleeping together, despite my all of my attempts otherwise. You know, you really take a toll on a girl's confidence in her manipulation skills."

While Angela was talking, Brennan removed the chair from between them and retrieved her cellular phone from her friends grasp. "Just please leave it alone, Angela."

Despite her pleading, and the occasional desperate grab, Angela continued. "Oh, now here's one from you to him. 'I too have missed your presence in the lab. It was extremely difficult to leave bed this morning.' Bed? Now, I know that I would know if you guys actually had sex. So if you are sharing a bed with him but not _sharing a bed with him _then I don't know if I can even look at you right now."

"Seriously, Angela. Stop."

"But I don't want to." Brennan could have sworn she saw Angela about to stomp her foot like a child. So, as she would have reacted to Parker, Brennan gave her a reprovingly scolding look.

Angela sighed. "Fine but believe me, one day you'll listen to me and when that day comes I will not refrain from gloating."

Before Brennan could speak to respond, Booth strolled straight into her office.

"Hey ladies. How's everything going?"

"Hi Booth." Angela crooned, her voice heightened by the text messages that she had just read. "I was actually just about to leave. Brennan has some paperwork to finish, she's been distracted." Moving her eyes to Brennan, she saw the red rush into her cheeks. "Bye Sweetie, I'll see you later."

With that, Angela breezed out the office door, placing an affectionate pat on Booth's shoulder as she passed him. "You look _very_ rested."

Once Angela had walked out of earshot, Booth began to walk towards Brennan's desk. "Okay. Now what is up with her? She's acting weirder than usual."

Brennan ignored his question. She was not in the mood to have that discussion with Booth. She wasn't in the mood to have that conversation with Angela either. Then again, she never was and she always found herself having it anyway.

She moved her chair so it was in its correct position once again and sat back at her desk, picking up the virtually blank paperwork and shuffling it in her hands.

Booth frowned slightly and walked towards Brennan's desk, placing his hands on it to keep his balance once he got there. She must've heard him. "Hey Bones, you awake up there?"

"Yes, Booth. Angela is just being Angela. You know how she is." Brennan responded very quickly. Almost too quickly.

If Booth hadn't known her as well as he did he would have mistaken her frankness for her normal attitude, but he knew that something wasn't quite right. What he didn't know though was what degree of not quite right it was.

"I really liked your text this morning, Bones." He leaned in so that his face was centimeters from hers. "You know how _hard _it is to leave you every morning."

Brennan half smiled in acknowledgement of his innuendo. Then Booth knew something was really wrong. She loved scolding him for making jokes like that in the Lab. It was 'unprofessional' and it was her 'workplace'. It always made him smile. This, however, did not.

"Okay, Bones. What's wrong? Those little wheels in your head are turning, and not in a good way." He moved to tuck a stray hair behind her ear but was too late as she sat back in her chair and let out a sigh.

"It's nothing, Booth. I'm being irrational."

"Please don't give me that. I'm not just anyone. You can't fool me when you're upset."

For a moment, Brennan contemplated making another excuse. It wouldn't have stopped Booth though. It would have made him more persistent and, ultimately, angrier.

"It's just some women that I overheard talking in the parking lot at Parker's school. It was all very odd. They coordinated both their haircuts and their vehicles and a…"

Booth didn't even let Brennan get far enough into her explanation to inform him of what had actually happened. He knew the women she was talking about and he knew the kinds of things they were saying.

"Those women? You can't listen to a word they say. They sit inside their houses all day making lists and cutting crusts off of sandwiches just waiting for the moment they can congregate and insult other people so they don't feel as bad about their sucky lives."

Booth did not hide his opinion of the mothers, and he did not hesitate in expressing it, which surprised Brennan. He was never one to tolerate people who didn't deserve to be tolerated but she had never heard him speak so disdainfully towards someone who hadn't committed a crime.

He continued with a tinge of anger in his voice. "What'd they say, Bones?"

Brennan saw the same anger that was in his voice in his eyes. She couldn't find the words.

"Temperance. What did they say about you?"

Her first name. He used her first name. She let a little gasp. He only used her first name when he desperately needed her to listen to him and remember what he was trying to convey. As she looked at the emotion in his face, she knew she had to tell him.

"They said 'I bet he's just using her to look after Parker until she comes back', and then 'Does she think that anyone would take her being a part of his life seriously' and that 'Parker deserves to have his real mother in his life, not some poor substitute.'" Brennan spoke slowly, watching Booth's face fall with every quoted insult. He looked at her with as much care as he could muster. He didn't speak. He stood up straight and walked around Brennan's desk to where she was sitting, pulling her up into an embrace.

"Of course you would remember it word for word." He muttered as he rubbed his hands over her back and pressed a single, subtle kiss on her forehead.

In Booth's arms, her resolve broke. "It's not true is it? I'm not a poor substitute for a mother, am I?"

Booth felt his heart break. Brennan would have told him that hearts couldn't technically break, but he knew better.

He broke their embrace but reconnected them by grabbing Brennan's hand and pulling her towards the windowed side of her office. From her new position, Brennan could see Parker sitting cross-legged on top of Hodgins' station with a Twizzler poking out from his mouth and the rest of the package safely in his hands. He was wide-eyed, listening intently to every word that Hodgins said as he motioned to an evidence tray that was sitting beside the boy.

Booth pointed straight at where Brennan had already been looking, at their son. "You see that kid up there? He is your son no matter what anyone else says. When he wakes up in the middle of the night and wants his Mommy, he wants you. He doesn't want Rebecca. Rebecca is a stranger to him and what he does remember is going to scar him for a long time. Every day that you wake up you love him. You take care of him, and teach him and protect him and put him first even though you have absolutely no obligation to him. Parker is blessed to have you in his life and I am blessed to have found someone to love my son like I do. No one has the right to gossip about you and no one has the right to make you feel inadequate, especially when it has to do with something that you are twenty times better at then them. Next time someone tries to say that Parker deserves more than you, you look at him. You look at the way he runs to you after being away from you. You look at the way he smiles when you praise him. You look at the way he says he loves you like it is the easiest thing in the world. You look at him and decide for yourself whether or not you're a good mother. Believe me, it's an obvious answer."

Brennan was speechless. Booth was looking at her with such fervor that is made her breathless. It seemed as if he would have done anything to convince her. Which he would have.

Booth broke the silence though, as he rubbed his thumb across the skin of the hand he was still holding. "Now that we've handled that, I'm going to take the little guy back to my apartment and feed him some dinner. I know Angela said you had some work you had to finish, so just take your time. No rush. I'll wear him out by the time you get there to tuck him in." He squeezed her hand before letting it go and walking towards the door.

Brennan started to walk back towards her desk but she was stopped by Booth's voice in the doorway. "He loves you, never forget that." She smiled to herself for the first time that whole day.

Even though she knew that Booth was right there was still a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something still wasn't right. But she would have to deal with that later, for now, like the good anthropologist she was, she sat down at her desk to do her work and tried to push her emotions to the back of her mind.

(*)

By the time that Brennan had finally gotten to Booth's apartment that night, she was worn out; both physically and emotionally. It had been the first time in weeks that she had spent more than six or so hours a day working in the lab. When Parker had been let out for summer break, she and Booth had taken on a lighter work load so that they could manage having their son home all day. She had forgotten how much work working was.

Then on top of that there were those women; the malicious mothers from the parking lot that thought they knew everything about her life. The ones who thought they knew the Booth boys, her boys. Her family.

No matter how hard Brennan tried to push their insults and assumptions to the back of her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about their words. No matter how much she focused on what Booth had told her at lab, she still couldn't stop the worry from creeping into her mind. It had been hours since it occurred but the sting still felt just as harsh as it had initially. Being so affected by stranger's words confused her. It made her feel sick to her stomach and completely dizzy at the same time. Had she really changed _that _much?

She wanted a drink. Actually she wanted about five of them. She wanted to lie down and fall asleep for as long as her brain allowed her to. Yet more than either of those, she wanted to curl up next to Parker and hug him to her until his breathing lulled her to sleep.

So that is exactly what she decided to do. She didn't even bother to inform Booth of her presence. She merely slipped off her shoes and silently walked back towards the room that held her resting son.

By the time she reached the doorway of Parker's room, though, her plans changed. The moment that her eyes fell upon his tiny face she decided that she wanted to watch him sleep instead. In that instant alone she had felt her mood lift. He looked so serene, so at peace. Everything that she wished she could be.

Brennan tiptoed closer to his bed. Kneeling in the soft carpet right beside the place where his head lay. Her position allowed her gaze to stare directly upon his face without strain. She could already feel the knots in her neck loosening just from the sound of his steady breathing.

His nose fluttered with every inhalation and exhalation that passed through it. She could feel his breath in her own lungs, her own breathing slowing to match his pattern.

Booth wasn't using her. She knew that. He had never outright told her that but on multiple occasions he had expressed guilt for 'trapping' her or 'guilt-tripping' her. He would never put the effort into saying that if he hadn't meant it. That was just unreasonable. Plus, Brennan never put stock in just being able to _feel_ something, but if there was anything that she could it would be that Booth cared about her more than that.

Parker's left hand laid halfway curled beside his face, his thumb pointing towards his barely-opened mouth as if he had been sucking on it before falling asleep. The left side of his face was burrowed into the pillow so that almost half of it was buried away from her sight yet she could still see that his cheek was pink from the pillows friction.

Booth had been right earlier. There was absolutely no way that she could be considered a bad substitute for a mother. She thought about what he had said and she just knew. She made sure Parker ate a healthy breakfast and put the right shoe on each foot. She reminded him of his manners and taught him how to treat the environment with respect. No matter where she was or what she was doing she had half of her thoughts and one of her eyes focused on him. She'd opened her life up to him; toys scattered all over her apartment, a small light blue toothbrush in the holder next to hers, and Disney DVD's in all six slots of her changeable player. When he hurt, she hurt. When he smiled, she smiled. When he spoke, she listened. When he cried, she held him and called him her baby. If that was what being a bad substitute for a mother was, and if rejecting and leaving your child like Rebecca did was the proper thing to do, then Brennan knew why she wanted nothing to do with it in the first place. Yet she had learned what real motherhood was and she was going to spend every day trying to make up for the pain that Rebecca had caused her little boy.

Parker's eyelashes were long and dark against the light, delicate skin of his eyelid. Brennan could see small movements beneath them; he was dreaming. She wished that she could know what he was dreaming about. She imagined that it was pleasant, fantastical in some way. It had to be; the corner of his mouth turned upwards into a smile as he pushed his head farther into his pillow and causing his light blonde curls to fall over the eyelashes that Brennan had just been admiring.

She was a part of Booth's life. Objectively, Brennan would say that she was a fairly large part of his life. Even before Parker. They had worked together every day and when they weren't on a case they had seen each other for some reason or another. Reasons that, in retrospect, seemed somewhat premeditated. Then after Rebecca left, even though it was actually mathematically impossible, it seemed as if the time they spent together quadrupled. As the months passed they spent as much of every day together as possible. Every meal and every bed time story that they could manage. They shopped for groceries together. They went on vacations together. They celebrated holidays together. They told each other when they would be late so no one worried. It was like Angela had said in her office earlier that afternoon; they were virtually a married couple, except for the sex. Which was true, they didn't have sex. They just kissed each other from time to time. And occasionally made out on couches…and hotel beds…and lounge chairs on the roof of her building. That didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't keep her hands off of him, she could have just needed a release. But she didn't need a release. She needed him.

It finally hit her. What the ladies in the parking lot had said that day, and what she and Booth had relentless tried to convince the world of since the day they started working together, was false. They weren't _just _partners.

They planned birthday parties and watched Nickelodeon together. They weren't _just_ partners. They bickered over the perfect first day of first grade outfit and the use of chocolate in breakfast foods but they made up with apologetic kisses on fingers and napes of necks. They were not _just_ partners. They fell asleep in each other's arms without a word otherwise. They were not _just_ partners. They missed each other when they were apart for a few hours. They weren't _just_ partners. They felt jealous and protective and unworthy and lucky and utterly happy to be near one another all of the time. They weren't _just _partners.They laughed and played and lived and worried and loved with each other. They weren't _just _partners. They were Mommy and Daddy. They were definitely not _just _partners_. _They were so much more. They were everything more.

Had it really taken her this much time to realize that?

All of a sudden, Brennan felt a hot breath on her shoulder. "Hey, I didn't hear you come in."

She inhaled deeply, knowing what she was about to do. "We're not _just_ partners."

Brennan had anticipated some sort of celebration, an 'I told you so' or a dance or at least a triumphant smile, but all she felt was his lips barely ghosting the curve of her ear.

"No, Bones. We aren't. And if you ask me, I don't think we ever have been."

At that, Brennan turned her head slightly, causing her ear to brush across his mouth in an unintentional caress. A shiver shot up her body. Booth studied her face. He had never seen so much thought and emotion and sincerity brimming up from inside of her.

Brennan closed her eyes, feeling more defenseless than she had ever felt before. Yet as she opened her mouth to speak, she found that she was not afraid of her vulnerability. "I cannot say for sure that your hypothesis is correct but I can say with certainty that it is true in this moment and that I have no interest in continuing to pretend that it isn't."

And with that simple declaration, Booth only knew of one thing to do.

He kissed her. He only had to move a little to press his lips to hers, and even then, he did so as softly as he could. He knew it wasn't their first kiss, in fact it was nowhere close to being that, but the words that had just been spoken made him feel like it was. Their first _real_ kiss.

And all of a sudden, with that simple caress of lips, Brennan was okay. She knew who mattered and she knew what was important. She knew that her new life had changed her, but she also realized that it was for the better. Yet most of all she knew that she was supposed to right where she was, kissing Booth.

The sweetness of that first instant was short lived though. Both suddenly remembered exactly how the other tasted and exactly how they other felt against their own lips and neither planned on wasting that sensation on delicacy. They knew that they had to talk about everything that was going to come hand in hand with her revelation, but in that moment the only thing that mattered was them finally being able to be completely together for the first time.

Booth pressed his lips to Brennan's, fitting his upper lip in between hers and sucking the bottom one roughly into his mouth. Her hands flew up to his body, one anchoring itself onto his upper arm and the other winding itself in his hair to drag him closer to her mouth. Brennan thought of how much time had been wasted. She wanted him as close as she could get him. As she pulled at him though, Booth bit Brennan's lip in shock. She whimpered.

With that noise, Booth knew exactly where this was going, and it certainly was not going to happen on his son's bedroom floor. Well, at least not while he was there.

Somehow, Booth gathered the will power to pry himself away from Brennan. She whimpered again, but this time it was a cry of frustration. She pressed her hands into the carpet behind her and leaned back, arching her body in a feline manner and sweeping her eyes over him with a smirk. She was going to kill him.

His blood was boiling; he couldn't wait any longer to get Brennan out of Parker's room and into his own. He forcefully grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the hallway and around the corner. Once they were out of eyeshot from Parker's room, Booth pushed Brennan into the wall and pressed his entire body against her. He felt solid and strong. Even though his skin was hot, it made her shiver.

Brennan groaned as Booth nipped at her neck between words. "I. Am. Not. Paying. For. His. Therapy." He punctuated his last word by sucking a spot on her shoulder into his mouth. When he released her skin, he murmured into her. "And those sexy little noises do nothing for my self-control."

His hands, which had been pressed against the wall behind Brennan, fell down to her hips, holding her in place between him and the wall. Booth dared to drag his thumbnail underneath the waistband of her skirt but he caught her moan with his own mouth as he moved to kiss her again.

This time their kissing was passionate. It was all tongues and hands and everything that they had just stopped themselves from before now. It was full of everything that they wanted to say but couldn't have before then. In this moment, Brennan felt as if everything that they had said and been through in the past years had built up and finally clicked together. For the first time in her life she felt like she was where she was supposed to be.

Brennan slid her hands underneath Booth's t-shirt and scratched her fingernails up his back as he swept his tongue across her lip. As he felt her nails tickle his body, Booth let out an almost feral growl. Brennan took his momentary distraction as an opportunity to wind her hand in the fabric of his shirt and drag him to his bedroom.

Booth chuckled in a low growl, a noise that Brennan had never heard from him before. "Can't handle not being in control, Bones?"

She didn't answer him with words but as soon she crossed the threshold of the room she used her grip on his shirt to pull it up over his head and reveal his chest to her. Without even taking a moment to ogle him, she used her other hand to push him backwards into the frame of his door.

Seemingly moving to kiss him once again, she started to move towards his lips but instead dropped to feather light, wet kisses across his chest, sweeping her tongue over his skin to taste him. She traced aimless shapes on his body with her tongue and stared up at him from under her eyelashes. She saw him smirk, obviously under the impression that he was still in control despite his position, so she ended her swirl and bit his nipple.

Booth hissed at the pressure and then groaned as she dragged her tongue over where she had just bit.

"I'd say I was in control, actually." Brennan argued in a husky tone.

Hearing her voice so deep and raspy, and knowing it was because of him, set him off. He had known that it was going to be incredible, once Brennan had made the same realization that had years before. But he didn't know that getting to know this side of her would be so instantly addictive. He had to gain the upper hand again.

And so he did.

As Brennan continued to lick and bite her way up his chest, Booth muttered 'You are wearing far too many clothes.' and tore her blouse open, littering the floor with its buttons. In the same moment he picked her up by the hips and turned the tables once again.

"I would have to disagree about the being in control part." He pulled at her ear lobe with his teeth.

Pressed against the cold door frame, Brennan felt as if Booth's body was setting hers on fire. Her mind screamed that it was physically impossible but something inside her screamed back to be quiet. If Booth wanted to set her on fire, he could. Impossibilities be damned.

After a moment of simply standing against one another, feeling the pressure of their connection, he stepped back slightly. He allowed just enough space for his hand to trace a line from her navel all the way up to her neck.

"God, I have always fantasized about having you against a wall." Booth panted, moving his finger towards the curve of her breast and running it along the fabric of her bra.

Brennan gasped as a chill ran through her body at his words. She could get used to hearing those kinds of things coming out of his mouth. She wanted to hear about every single one of his fantasies. She wanted to make every single one of them a reality. Yet, suddenly, a very important factor popped into her mind.

"What about Parker, Booth. Won't he hear us?"

Booth gave her a lopsided grin as he reached behind her to unclasp her bra. "That's another thing you have to learn when you become a parent, Bones, how to be quiet…"

Booth watched as Brennan's bra fell from her shoulders and joined the rest of their discarded clothes on the floor. He grinned as he watched her start to walk backwards towards his bed with glint in her eye.

"Besides, we have some unfinished business to attend to." He returned her a mischievous look as he reached his hand towards the door knob.

Brennan chuckled sexily with reminiscence. "Remember to lock it this time, Booth."

_ONE WEEK EARLIER_

_Brennan slowly drifted back into her conscious state and awoke. Her eyes opened to darkness. She guessed that a dream had forced her to stir in the middle of the night, but her place on the right side of the bed gave her a clear view of the clock on the bedside table told her that it was just a few minutes past six. She stretched her legs and felt them brush against a pair of even stronger limbs._

_Booth._

_During the night both of their bodies shifted from the spooning position they fell asleep in. Brennan had moved onto her back and he now lay on his stomach. His arm that was locked around her torso hadn't moved however. A quick thought passed her mind that his position couldn't be comfortable for his shoulder. So out of pure concern for his well being, she turned to lie on her side right side which simultaneously turned his snoozing body so that they were face to face._

_A small sound emitted from Booth's throat. Brennan stayed silent fearing that she had woken him. His breath quickly evened back out and he buried his head deeper into the pillow that both of their heads now rested on._

_She could feel him everywhere. Chests pressed together. Legs tangled. Brennan's hand carefully crept up the arm that was wrapped around her. The sensation of her nails running along his lightly tanned skin forced another soft groan from his throat. She smiled when her palm made it to her goal place on his shoulder. Lightly, she massaged the area._

_It didn't take long for her bedmate to wake._

_The corners of his mouth turned upward. His iron arm tightened around her so there was no space between them. A small gasp escaped Brennan's mouth when she felt another part of his body that apparently got an earlier start than them both._

"_Good morning." His gruff voice sounded._

_Surrendering to her impulse, she pushed her hips roguishly into his. "Good morning." Her words feigned innocence._

_When Booth finally opened his eyes he wished he had a camera handy. This image he needed to capture and save for a lifetime. Messy hair, not an ounce of make-up, and sleepy eyed. Last night he had seen her completely done up, but her beauty after hours of primping couldn't compare to her the angelic vision before him. Before he could say another word, she pushed herself against him again. She may have looked like an angel but they way she was teasing downright devilish. _

"_Don't tempt me." He growled._

_She grinned and relaxed her body, separating their hips slightly. "It's early. We should sleep."_

_Booth arched and stretched the muscles in his back. He kept his arm across her body when he propped his head up with his other hand and to look down on her. "We could sleep or we could…"_

_Brennan caught her bottom lip between her teeth. The spark she saw in his eyes reinforced her belief that he truly loved when she did that. He lowered his head until his face was cradled between her neck and shoulder. "Or we could get up."_

_His arm across her body pulled inward and his palm snuck under her pajama top to rub smooth circles on her stomach. "Try again."_

_She brought her own hand to his back and caressed it up and down. "Or I could get up and you could go back to sleep."_

_He expressed his disapproval of her answer by opening his mouth against her throat. His lips worked like magic against her with the perfect balance of loving kisses and playful nips. Her knees parted when his leg work its way between them. "Try again."_

_By now her breathing was labored. She tried to turn so she could reap the benefits of his talented mouth with her own, but every time she attempted to move he moved his mouth went lower. He trailed his lips across her upper chest that was exposed from the tank top she wore. "Or you could kiss me."_

"_Thatta girl."_

_They kissed relentlessly. Mouths opened. Tongues explored. Hands grabbed. Brennan's mind didn't sober until she felt his hands work their way under her shirt and reach for her chest. She broke her lips away from his and turned her face to the side, slightly shocked that he'd broken the limit of their physical contact. Booth took it as encouragement to go back to working on her neck._

_She moaned at the sensations his skilled fingertips sent through the nerves of her sensitive flesh. He surprised her again by pulling his hands away from her breasts and tugging on the bottom of her shirt. In an instant, he had shed her of her top and she lay bare before him._

_He didn't mean to gape at her, but how could he not? She was flawless. As much stock as he put in romance and fate, he didn't think this level of perfection existed. Every woman he'd been with in the past had a flaw. Cam didn't know how to kiss without biting Rebecca's body was lopsided in all the wrong places. That was just to name a few._

_But not her. Not his Bones. _

_Brennan had never felt so naked in all her life. Granted, she was actually nude, but she felt like he wasn't just gazing at her body. It was like he was looking right through her. She didn't know if she could take it if he saw something he didn't like._

"_Gorgeous." He whispered before leaning down to kiss her once more. He felt her smiling against his lips and suddenly he was the person feeling his shirt being pulled at._

"_It's only fair." She spoke against his mouth as his upper body was revealed to hers._

_Before he could lean back down, she placed her hands on his chest. What was happening between them now was something they were only going to experience for the first time once. With brown eyes boring into blue, she found the courage to speak. "Booth, I need to….t-tell you."_

_The cloud of lust thinned within Booth's mind. There was no way she was going to say…that. Was there? "What?" Her mouth opened but no words came out. He cupped her face in his hand. "Bones, you can tell me anything."_

_She took a breath. "I have begun to find that you…you trigger frequent releases of dopamine and norepinephrine in my brain."_

_Unlike most times, Booth understood every word. He kissed her square on the lips before whispering "You make my head spin too, Bones."_

_The worshiped each other with their mouths, both finally having tastes of skin that had been forbidden up to now. But they wanted more. They needed more. Booth's hand slide up and down her thigh. Brennan made sounds she didn't know she was capable of when his fingers curled into the waistband of her shorts._

_All of a sudden, the sound of an opening door forced both adult's actions to halt. The realization hit them both at the same time as to who was entering the room. They separated and pulled the comforter over their bodies like two teenagers caught by their parents._

"_Mommy? Daddy? Are you guys awake or are you still sleeping?" Parker asked in a hushed voice._

_Brennan would have laughed. How could he expect them to answer if they were asleep? The humor of his question was lost on her however. Her racing heart and throbbing body was too distracting at the moment._

"_We're awake." Booth answered, obviously trying to conceal that he was trying to catch his breath._

"_Did you have fun at your gala?"_

"_We did." Brennan took the liberty of responding to him._

_Parker was about to tell them how his stomach woke him up grumbling, but then he spotted something lying to the side of the bed._

"_Mommy, why is your shirt on the ground?"_

"_Uh, she got hot, bub." Booth almost patted himself on the back for pulling the response out of thin air._

_Parker nodded, satisfied by that answer. "Oh. I just kick the covers off."_

"_Why don't you go and pick out which cereal you want this morning? Mommy and me will be out there in a minute."_

_The patting of little feet told Booth and Brennan that they were once again alone. When the two finally looked at each other it didn't take more than five seconds for them to break into hysterics._

_Brennan held her hand to her chest as she laughed. "I think it would be wise to lock the door in the future."_

"_Definitely." Booth agreed, chuckling. "You know we shouldn't be laughing right? If he would have walked in ten minutes later we'd be paying for some serious therapy."_

_Brennan leaned up and rested on one elbow, facing him. The blanket covering her slipped down a little giving him one last look at her. "It looks like we have some unfinished business, Agent Booth." She smiled wickedly and pecked his lips once before rolling to get out of bed._

"_Damn right we do, Dr. Brennan."_

* * *

IS EVERYONE SMILING? We really, really, really want to know if you are.

Also, we tried to keep the smut level close to what we see in PG-13 movies. It won't go farther than this, but if it made you uncomfortable then we apologize.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N Hey guys, Kimmy here. Thanks for waiting patiently for this chapter. Both me and Kelsey have unbelievably busy schedules. On my end, I literally have about 10 spare hours a week to do homework, eat and bathe so finding the time to write this has been an endeavor to say the least. So, saying that, we would really appreciate it if you guys could just stick with us through this. We know that you want updates and we want to give them to you, but unfortunately it's not as easy as that. You don't have to worry though, we aren't deserting this story and we never will. This is our baby and the light at the end of the schoolwork tunnel, but ultimately school does have to come first, and it is very difficult to work with both of our schedules. We're sorry that we can't post very often, but we promise that you'll still love every word when we do. :D_

_On another note, just so you know, the last few chapters have been really intense so be prepared for a calm down and fluff galore._

_Enjoy!

* * *

_

Fall leaves crinkled under the feet of a dozen children as they ran through the ends and outs of the colorful playground structure. Brennan brought Parker for an after school play date. She'd learned it was common for parents of young children to do. There, they met Sarah and Sadie, the mother and daughter who attended Parker's birthday party a few months earlier. At the beginning of the academic year, Parker informed Brennan that Sadie was in his class and he was very pleased. In his words she wasn't one of those 'fussy girly girls'. While the six year olds released their pent up energy playing, Brennan conversed with the mother on a wooden bench

The topics they discussed were fairly tame. Brennan informed her new friend about her career and success as an author on the side. Sarah told her that she wanted to read her books, but she didn't have much time to herself being a stay at home mom to four children. Brennan learned that Sadie was her third.

"I know it's not nearly as interesting as what you do." Sarah joked in reference to her homemaking.

"In my experience this past year with Parker, I would assume you have very interesting days with four children." Brennan replied. Her mind wandered to imagine what her life would be if there were four Parkers running around. She quickly developed admiration for the mother seated beside her.

Sarah nodded and pulled out her wallet. Brennan's eyes focused on a picture of four little bodies dressed to the nines. The picture was professionally taken, but the children's expressions told her that they paid no mind. Each one was making a silly face at the camera. "Things do get a little crazy."

Brennan grinned at the picture while simultaneously making a mental note that she and Booth should have professional pictures of Parker taken. She'd seen his last portrait in Booth's apartment and it was at least two years old. "Does your husband enjoy supporting your large family?"

In the little time Sarah had been talking to Temperance, she learned that she sometimes asked strange questions. She found it endearing and quite refreshing. "He's always wanted a lot of children. I only wanted two. I actually told him that I wanted Sadie to be our last, but then little Seth came along and surprised us both. We both really love it though. Last weekend…"

As the redhead began to tell an amusing anecdote, Brennan gave the playground a once over with her eyes. During that quick glance, she didn't see Parker. She assumed he was running through one of the plastic tunnels and turned back to Sarah.

"…it was hilarious. My oldest girl, Sidney, was covered in purple paint and she was bawling her eyes out, so Scott dumped it all over himself so she'd calm down…"

Brennan smiled knowing that Booth would have done same thing. She let her eyes wander once more, but this time when they never landed on Parker a wave of anxiety crashed over her.

"Temperance, are you okay?" Sarah questioned her suddenly change in demeanor.

Her eyes darted back and forth. The longer time stretched on without any sign of Parker, the faster her heart started to beat. Brennan stood up from the bench ignoring the fact that her purse had fallen onto the grass. "I don't see him."

Both women jogged towards the playground as Brennan called out for Parker. She checked in all the visible hiding places, but there was no sign of him. She ran over to Sadie who was climbing up the narrow steps to the twisty slide. "Sadie!" She yelled, grabbing her little girl's attention. "Where's Parker?"

The six year old pointed towards a wooded area along the edge of the park. "He followed some big boys back there. He said-"

Brennan's legs took off before she could hear the rest of Sadie's answer. She ran as fast as she could into the trees and darted down the visible trail. Her mind raced while she yelled out for her son. "Parker!"

Big boys? How big? Older children or adults? Her hands shook as she pushed branches out of the way. What if adults had him? What if they had lured him down here? What if they planned on taking him? "Parker! Where are you?" She kept her eyes peeled on the fresh shoeprints in the dirt. "Parker! Answer me, baby!"

The words of the mothers she had met over the years repeated in her head. _I never thought I'd lose him. I didn't think it would happen to me. I only looked away for a second. _She felt sick. How many seconds passed when she was too wrapped in conversation to notice that Parker was running away from the playground? A stomach turning image of a small, mangled skeleton contrasting against her metal autopsy table flashed in her mind. She would have sworn her heart stopped, medical impossibilities be damned. _Not my son. Not my son._ She fiercely thought to herself as she climbed over a fallen tree. "Parker!" Her shallow breathing hardly left her enough voice to yell.

Just then the sounds of young voices filtered through her ears. She followed the noise until she spotted two boys who couldn't have been older than ten sitting on their knees next to her son who was doing the same. All three of them were looking down into a cardboard box.

"Parker." Brennan loudly sighed as her adrenaline levels started to descend.

The boy whirled around and his eyes grew wide obviously surprised by her presence there. "What's wrong?" He naively asked.

As she marched towards him, the other boys backed away with a tinge of fear in their eyes. At least they knew they shouldn't be back here, unlike her son who was making her angry by feigning ignorance when she was well aware that he knew better. Once she was close enough to touch him, her arms reached out and gathered him in a tight hug. He squirmed against her at first not understanding the sudden embrace. She pulled back just enough to eyes glance up and down his body quickly and found no sign of injury. When her gaze settled on his face, she brought her hands to both of his cheeks. "Parker, what were you thinking disappearing like that?"

"I didn't disappear!" He corrected. "Sadie was supposed to tell you I was gunna be right back."

His response sent a flare of anger through her body. "You _know_ that you are _not_ allowed to go anywhere without permission." She scolded in a firm voice.

"But I'm still in the park just a different part of it."

"A part that's surrounded by trees where I cannot see you." She retorted. "And don't attempt to argue with me!"

His bottom lip quivered a little. She was starting to yell and he couldn't ever remember a time when his mommy yelled like this. "I just wanted to see the puppies." He pointed to the cardboard box he'd been looking at right before she'd shown up. Brennan stood up straight and peered into the square container. Sure enough there were three small, brown puppies lying on a balled up blanket. "Those boys found them. I said we should tell a grown up about them or else they'd die." He explained with his head hanging. "I just wanted to see them first."

Brennan took a deep breath. She was slightly soothed by the cool, fresh air filling her lungs. Her right hand reached towards Parker's hair. Her fingers curved upward silently asking for him to look up. When his brown pools were staring at her, she spoke, "I understand that you wanted to help them, but it was very dangerous to go off by yourself."

"I know how to get back. You walk down that way past that tree that fell down and then-"

"Baby, that's not what I mean." Brennan cut off. He tried to look down once again, but she tucked her knuckles under his chin. Booth had it enough times for her to know that it was a sure fire way to get someones full attention. "You could have gotten hurt or…" She hesitated trying to find a delicate way to say this without scaring him. "…someone bad could have been back here."

"Like the bad guys you and daddy catch?"

Her chest hurt with the realization that he had no idea the extent of how bad those bad guys they put behind bars were. "Yes." He didn't provide any response besides his foot lightly kicking at the dirt beneath their feet. Brennan knew he was hearing her. His facial expression made it obvious that he knew his actions were wrong. There was no logical reason for her to still be so upset by the entire situation, so she chose to remove them from it. She grabbed his hand. "We're leaving."

"But-"

"Parker..." Her warning tone was enough to silent him for the next few minutes as they maneuvered their way out of the trees and back into the open area of the playground.

Brennan exchanged a quick apology to Sarah for leaving early and their children waved goodbye to each other. As she button Parker's jacket he quietly asked, "What about the puppies?"

Without hesitating, she looked up at her friend. "Sarah, there are three puppies in a box right down the trail on the edge of the trees. Could you please call local animal control so they are found before you leave?"

"Of course." The redhead agreed.

With a thankful nod, she took Parker's hand in hers once again and together they walked in the direction of her car.

(*)

"Okay, you're holding my hand really tight." Despite her son's pleas, Brennan gripped even tighter as she pulled him through the Jeffersonian doors towards her office. "Really, Mommy! My hand hurts…" Parker began to reiterate, but before he could finish his statement, Hodgins strode right up into their path.

"Hey, Dr. B, I was wondering if I could borrow the little man for a bit? I just came into possession of an Ailanthus Webworm Moth and I'm pretty sure he'd love it."

A smile grew on Parker's face having no idea what Hodgins was talking about though he knew it was most likely awesome. But before Brennan could even pretend to think about it she snapped back at him.

"I'm sure he appreciates the offer Dr. Hodgins, but we are just returning from a long day at the park, and I'm certain that Parker is looking forward to recuperating in my office with me."

Both Hodgins and Parker responded at the same moment with a chorus of disappointed appeals.

"Mommy, it's okay." Parker replied, trying to wrangle his hand free. "I'm not that tired; I can go see the bug!"

"Yeah, Dr. Brennan, it won't take that long. I'll have him back before you know it." Hodgins could sense that something wasn't quite right with his boss, but he still pushed slightly further..

"No. Like I have already stated, Parker will be in my office with me this afternoon." Brennan punctuated her resolve with a quick tug of Parker's hand that pulled the two of them around Hodgins' body and back on their original path.

As Hodgins watched the anthropologist yank the now cranky boy behind her, he shook his head in bewilderment. "Women…"

A half hour later, Brennan and Parker sat in a heavy silence; the former surrounded by paperwork and the latter placed directly in her lap with paper and crayons in front of him. The clock ticked loudly emphasizing not only the passing of time but also the anxiety that lingered from their earlier scare.

Brennan stopped scratching her pen over the case write-up that she was working on and flicked her eyes at the picture Parker was drawing. It was a puppy. She knew that he hadn't tried to scare her. She knew that he was a good boy. He was only trying to help what he was led to believe was a helpless animal. He had inherited his father's open heart and she admired that about him on most days. She just couldn't get over the image in her mind. The image of Parker's bones being splayed out on her work table. It made her sick to her stomach.

She tightened her arm around his waist pulling his body closer to hers. She needed to feel him warm and alive and breathing against her.

"Mommy, I can't reach!" Parker giggled as he stretched and tried to continue coloring his puppy's ear.

"Oops, sorry." Brennan scooted her rolling chair closer to her desk so that they both could have what they wanted.

As if she had heard the silence break, Angela strolled into Brennan's office with a stride that showed she meant business.

"Hey, buddy," she said leaning over Brennan's desk to poke his nose. "Why don't you head over to Dr. Jack's station? He's got something to show you."

Angela could see Brennan's glare in her peripheral vision, but she couldn't care less. She was prepared for an argument. The way Hodgins had explained it Brennan had suffered from a stage ten passive aggressive meltdown. This meant that she had some explaining to do, and Angela was not going to put up with her usual emotional detachment.

Parker moved his glance between the two women. "Mommy said that I have to stay in here with her today." He continued cautiously.

Angela shook her head vigorously and placed her hands on their respective hips, "I know she did, but I have to talk to her about some big girl stuff that you wouldn't be interested in at all, so I think you should listen to Auntie Angela." She finished with a smile.

"Angela, you are crossing the line."

"Brennan." Angela spoke with a tone that intimidated even Brennan.

No one moved, even Parker. Brennan and Angela weren't yelling but the way they were talking seemed even scarier to him. The room was silent for what seemed like minutes until Brennan cleared her throat and loosened her grip on her son.

"Alright, it's fine. Go see the bug. Tell me all about it when you come back."

Parker removed himself from his mother's lap and ran out of the room as quickly as he could desperate to escape.

Once the boy had reached a safe distance from the office Brennan stared at her best friend who stood solidly at the opposite side of her desk.

"What was that all about, Angela?" She tried to remain as calm as she could. Her scare with Parker had left her vulnerable and now she felt as if she was one step away from either screaming or breaking down into tears.

"You're acting even more odd than usual. I won't name names, but I heard some whispers that you were acting somewhat _testy _when you came into the lab earlier. I just came in here to be a good friend and see if you needed to talk about what was wrong." Angela moved from her resolute stance and leaned forward against the desk. "So, what happened with Parker?"

"What makes you think that my mood has anything to do with him?" Brennan snapped at her, completely unaware of the fact that she had just admitted to being in a bad mood.

Angela chuckled slightly under her breath. "Maybe because you are holding on to him as if the next gust of wind that comes along is going to blow him over the horizon. Plus, I saw you watch the kid until he was at Hodgins' station as if someone was going to kidnap him between here and there."

Brennan had absolutely no idea how Angela always knew exactly was going on in her head. In all honestly, it made her relatively angry. A woman should be able to have secrets. A woman should be able to keep all of her irrationalities and vulnerabilities safely inside the confines of her own mind.

"Sweetie, I see you thinking. Just please talk to me. If you keep this inside it's going to keep getting worse until you hug Parker so tight that his head pops off."

Brennan sighed too worn down to argue further. "It happened at the park today. He just...he disappeared. I had no idea where he'd gone. I searched for him for about ten minutes before I found him. It felt like so much more time though. It felt like I would never stop searching."

Angela's mouth fell into a tiny gasp, and she scurried around the desk forcing Brennan into a hug.

"Oh my god, Brennan, I'm sorry. It's okay though. You found him and now you both have the opportunity to learn from this." Angela saw the unconvinced look on her friend's face. "I promise its okay now."

"But I lost him, Angela. I lost him and it might not have ended well. I cannot believe I put him in that danger."

Angela rubbed soft circles into her back before ending the embrace. "Brennan, it's like a parenting rite of passage. Almost every parent goes through this, but more times than not both the parent and the child come out of it unscathed."

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "Angela, you wouldn't know. You're not a mother."

Angela ignored the sting of her comment knowing she did not mean it as harshly as it came out. "I promise you. Ask any parent. I would bet you a 1964 Gibson ES0335 TDC that 90 percent of them would say they 'lost' their kid in a park or a supermarket."

Brennan didn't entirely understand Angela's last comment, but she breathed in and out slowly. She knew that Angela would never lie to her at least about something this serious but that still couldn't ease her mind completely.

"Fine, Angela. I concede to the accuracy of your current point, but I still do not believe that I was completely irrational in my reaction. Still, I appreciate your advice and your kindness."

Angela felt slightly shell-shocked. She knew that Brennan's sudden clinical tone indicated that she was ready to end the discussion, but her gratitude touched her. She grabbed her best friend and pulled her into another hug.

"You know I am always here for you if you need it, when you know that you need it, and especially when you don't." Angela smiled one last time and exited the office, leaving Brennan to her work and her thoughts.

Brennan returned to her seat at her desk picked up her pen once again. She knew that Angela was right. She always seemed to be. At least when it came to things like these. _She had to be right_, Brennan thought before returning to her paperwork, _she had to be._

(*)

Booth stepped through the front door of Brennan's apartment after a work day that was just too long. He had planned on leaving the Hoover hours ago, but local police picked up his suspect leaving him no choice other than to wait for them to process his misdemeanor so he could grill the creep in interrogation.

The FBI agent draped his gray suit jacket over the back of the couch and headed down the hallway. He popped his head into his son's bedroom. Parker slept soundly with one pajama clad leg hanging out from under the covers. He noticed the hand that normally rested by his mouth wasn't there. Inwardly, he cheered hoping he'd finally kicked that thumb sucking habit.

Assured that Parker was content, he moved towards the room that he now considered partly his. Unsurprisingly, he found his partner propped against the headboard reading a thick novel. He felt his pulse beat faster when his eyes raked over her torso that was only covered by a light blue, lace trimmed sleep slip. It wasn't the type of thing that was meant to be overly sexy. It was simple. It was comfortable. His eyes zoned in on the tiny bow sewn into the material right between her breasts. It was mouthwatering.

He was exhausted, but that little piece of cloth made him believe he could conjure up at least 30 more minutes worth of energy. After all, they had been reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies practically every night since the first time. There was no need to mess with a good thing.

Booth saw Brennan's eyes flicker upward when he started to unbutton his dress shirt, but her blue irises diverted right back to the page she was reading before he got to the last button. He smirked. Maybe she was going to play hard to get tonight.

By the time he was slipping into bed next to her wearing only his boxers, he was surprised she hadn't even said one word to him. Instead of using words himself, he decided to lean towards her and place a kiss on her shoulder.

Still, she gave no response. He continued his efforts and continued kissing her exposed skin lightly. He ran his hand down her arm that was closest to him and when he reached her fingers, he moved them to indicate that she should close the book. His lips curled into a smile when she did just that. When the book was securely on the nightstand, Booth let his hand travel across her stomach and it settled on her hip. Brennan finally turned her neck towards him at the perfect moment to receive a kiss on the lips.

"Hi." He whispered.

"Hello." She said back in one of the seconds he pulled his mouth off of hers to take a breath. They kissed a few more seconds before she pulled away. "You said you'd be home sooner."

"I know, but the police hauled Anderson in before I could leave. I had to stay and interrogate him." Booth explained before moving his lips to the smooth skin of her neck.

"I tried calling you. Why didn't you answer?"

"I left my phone in my office."

"What if Parker or I needed you?"

Her question finally cleared Booth's head of his wicked thoughts. He straightened his back and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry. I didn't want Anderson thinking I was distracted."

Brennan removed his hand from where it was resting on the top of her thigh. "Would you consider an emergency with your son a distraction?"

His eyes widened and his boxers suddenly felt a lot looser. "Did something happen with Parker?"

She sighed and leaned back against the headboard. "Today at the park he wandered off into the woods with two other children to look at lost puppies. I couldn't find him for almost ten minutes." She spoke quietly with her head hanging.

"Oh, Bones." He gently ran his hand over her forearm. "I'm sorry. I know you were scared."

"I was, but I'm fine now." She partly lied. While she felt better because of Angela's words, the event was still weighing heavily on her.

"Are you sure because every other time I've kissed you there…" He motioned towards the spot on her neck that he'd been working on. "…you haven't pushed me away."

The corner of her mouth turned upward slightly before falling back down. "I'm sorry."

Booth shook his head a little. "You don't have to apologize for not being in the mood, Bones." He joked. "Are you sure nothing else is bothering you?"

"I believe I'm still feeling somewhat anxious." She admitted and took a calming breath before speaking her next sentence afraid that he'd think she was being irrational. "And Parker's room feels very far away." Her teeth caught her bottom lip as her eyes rose to meet his. "I would like for him to sleep in here tonight."

His lips descended on hers once again before he moved off of the bed. Brennan watched as he walked out of the room. Moments later, he returned carrying a snoozing Parker in his arms. "Move to the middle."

Brennan followed his quiet command. She smiled as he laid their son next to her. The boy's eyes cracked open and he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light in the room. Booth's hand swiftly moved to the bedside lamp and he flicked it off. Parker snuggled into his mother who felt her partner slide up to the opposite side of her. She breathed deep taking in everything she could be surrounded by nothing but her family.

(*)

Brennan was warm. She could feel the slight sensation of sweat on her chest as she began to wake up. She didn't mind it though. Being wedged between her Booth boys was the perfect way to wake up; with a strong arm draped across her stomach, a nose to the nape of her neck and a little hand gripping gently at her forearm.

As the sleep-induced blur started to fade from her eyes, Brennan focused her vision on the child in front of her. Parker was curled mere inches away from her with his face nestled into the other half of her pillow. His chest moved up and down and his mouth began to twitch with the beginnings of awakening yawns.

Suddenly, one of Parker's eyes blinked open and a drowsy half-smile grew on his face. "You watchin' me, Mommy?"

"Maaaaaybe." Brennan answered, drawing out the 'a' and making her son giggle.

Parker opened his other eye and rubbed it with a tiny fist. "Daddy says that he likes watchin' me sleep when he has a bad day."

"It_ is_ very therapeutic."

Parker didn't reply. He stretched his body out, pointing his toes towards the end of the bed.

"Did you have good dreams, baby?" Brennan untangled her arm from Parker's and started to run her fingers through his curly hair.

"Mhmm. I could fly like a bird and I was flying over top of all the trees in a big forest, but they were all different colors like purple and blue instead of green."

"That's illogical though, trees are green. There is no genus of tree that sprouts leaves with vibrant colors like that."

Parker laughed and leaned into her stroking motions. "Yes, Mommy, I know. It was only a dream. Dreams are supposed to have lots of make-believe stuff in them. Don't you have really silly dreams sometimes?"

Brennan pondered her son's question. She had never thought about it but she actually couldn't remember the last time that she had a conscious awareness of her dream state after waking up.

"I don't think I have dreams."

"Everybody has dreams." Parker replied without a second thought.

"Well, if I do then I don't remember what occurred in them."

"That's sad, Mommy. Dreams are fun. I wish you could have them."

As Brennan continued to stroke Parker's hair she saw his eyes flutter shut. She let everything about him flood her senses; the smell of his shampoo, the feel of his tangle-free curls through her fingers, the sound of his breathing. Every single thing felt exponentially more important. It felt vital for her to remember everything about him. Just in case.

She couldn't believe that she had almost lost him. She never could have imagined how nauseated she felt running around the park feeling as if she had lost him forever. It did not matter how many people tried to reassure her. It did not matter that she was well aware that this was a common ordeal amongst parents. The feeling that she would never see Parker again frightened her more than anything she had ever experienced.

"I'm sorry I disappeared at the park." It was like he had read her mind. "I didn't mean to scare you. I promise I won't do it again. Never ever."

Brennan forced a smile upon her face touched by his apology but still unable to shake her anxiety. Afraid to wake Booth who was still deeply asleep, she pulled her son's head towards her lips to softly kiss his forehead.

"It's okay, baby. I know." Brennan pecked him once more.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too." She replied simply. She felt relieved, with Parker so close that she could breathe him in and feel his love but as he rolled back to where he had been sleeping earlier the extra inches felt like miles.

(*)

Booth heard the door of his office click shut behind him. The moment he sat at his desk he leaned back slightly in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. Rubbing his temples, he wished that the end of the day would come so he could go home, take off the tie and jacket and curl up on the couch with his family.

Suddenly he noticed something blinking on his desk. It was his phone. _(1) New Voicemail_ adorned the front LED screen of his Razor.

He flipped open his phone, tapped a few keys and placed the receiver to his ear fully expecting a summons from Brennan yet to his surprise Angela's voice came flooding through the device.

_"Okay, Booth. I think we might have an issue here. Brennan's still extremely distressed about what happened with Parker last week. I understand that it's a big deal, and I'm not looking for her to be flippant about it but she is still clinging to Parker like she'll stop breathing if he's more than two feet away from her. Parker's beginning to notice too. He won't leave her by herself. Today he told me he couldn't come help me in my office because he couldn't leave his Mommy alone. I'm tapping out Booth. I've done what I can and it's helped a little but I can't do what you do so you need to talk to your partner, girlfriend, mother of your child, future wife, whoever you guys are going with this week. Yes, Booth, I said talk. Believe me I know sex does wonders but I'm fairly certain -"_

The message cut Angela off before she could finish her snarky aside and Booth smiled in appreciation at his cell phone's patience level. She was right though, he acknowledged. Brennan really seemed to be making little progress in recovering from the park incident and it had began to worry him. He couldn't help but feel like something else must be wrong, like something else was preventing her from moving forward.

He was going to find out though. When he got home he was going to fix this no matter what it took.

(*)

As Booth walked through the front door of Brennan's apartment he could hear the soft sounds of the late night news coming from the living area in front of him. He gripped the doorknob tightly, pulling the door shut as quietly as possible to avoid being detected just yet.

Booth followed the television noises into the living room. Brennan sat on the couch directly in front of the television with her auburn hair gathered loosely into a messy bun and a blue ceramic tea-cup nestled in her hands. He leaned quietly against the wall, watching her bring the mug to her lips as he gathered his thoughts and planned his next move.

He knew what he needed to say and he knew what he wanted to say but he also knew that he would forget all of those things the second his eyes met hers. She had a pesky habit of making him seem like a babbling fool and, of course, she would have it no other way. As if she had heard that thought, Brennan reached behind her head with her free hand and pulled the elastic from her hair, eliciting a small sigh from her partner as the hair fell freely.

"I thought I heard you lurking back there." Brennan spoke without turning her head towards Booth

Booth was going to reply charmingly but decided to skip the pretense. "Bones, we have to talk about something."

Despite his serious tone, Brennan ignored him completely. "Did you lock the door behind you?"

"Of course." Booth assured, slightly bothered by the fact that she'd even ask. Part of him thought that she could have simply been concerned about the apartment's security but the edge in her voice told him that it was still about Parker. "Didn't you hear me, Bones? We have to talk about something. And before you say that asking about the lock was talking, I'll tell you its something more important than that."

Brennan didn't even appear to take in his words. She swung her legs off of the couch, stood, and walked over to stand right in front of him. "I'm sure that whatever you'd like to talk about could wait a few minutes." She leaned in and pecked her lips against his.

That kiss started to become something more rather rapidly, but Booth wasn't going to let her steal away the small amount of resolve that he had managed to maintain through their conversation thus far. He cupped his hands around the curve of her cheeks and gently pulled her lips from his. "I said we had something to talk about, Bones. As much as I want to do that we have some business to attend to first."

"But you said previously that we should take advantage of our alone time when Parker is asleep. I put him to bed an hour ago and he hasn't made a sound since." She kissed the underside of his jaw. Her fingers slipped upward to the knot of his tie and tugged.

He allowed her to finish undoing his tie but made no efforts of his own to join into her game. "And if I thought that that was your only reasoning then I might be more inclined to agree. Tell me something, Bones. Where'd you put Parker to bed?"

Brennan's hand stayed pressed against his white dress shirt as she pulled back. "I read him his bedtime story in our room. He fell asleep and I didn't think it wise to wake him."

Booth pressed his eyes shut for a moment. "Bones. This has got to stop. You've got to breathe."

Her eyebrows dipped together. "Of course I'm breathing, Booth. If I wasn't breathing I'd be unconscious." She ran her finger over the line of small semi-transparent buttons down the middle of his shirt.

Booth was edging on being fed up. He curled his hand around her playful finger and stared her straight in the eyes. "Stop it. Seriously. We need to talk about what happened in the park the other day and I'm not going to let you distract me like you always do. Now please Bones, _please_, tell me what's going on." He stared into her cloudy eyes waiting for an answer, but one never came. "He has slept in our bed every night." His unwavering tone kept her frozen in place. "You insist on holding his hand like he's going to float away whenever we're in public. You won't let him out of your sight at the lab."

"How-"

"Angela left me a voicemail. She said you're still upset about what happened and it's starting to affect Parker. She says he knows he's not supposed to leave you. I know neither of us want him thinking he can stray off in public, but the lab is one place where we both know he's safe."

Brennan's head was now hanging. "I know he's safe at the lab." She murmured.

Booth used his pointer finger to softly lift Brennan's head so she was looking at him once more. "I know its scary, Bones, and I know he worried you. But he isn't the only one that needs to learn from this experience. Parker learned that he can't just run off without telling you but you have to learn that sometimes kids make mistakes. Even though those mistakes can frighten the crap out of you, kids have got to make them so they know what not to do after we aren't around all the time to guide them. Sometimes you just have to take what comes at you, freak out for a moment and then trust yourself as a parent." He kissed her lips to punctuate his point. "I for one trust your parenting."

"I know, Booth." Brennan whispered. "I have learned. Parker is very intelligent and I'm aware that he now knows better. I know that I am a more than satisfactory maternal figure. I provide Parker with guidance, support, and love as well as the basic needs to live a comfortable life. But through this ordeal I've realized that the three of us could function as a nuclear family more successfully if..." She took a steadying breath before continuing. "We raised Parker in a solitary household."

"A solitary what-now?" Booth whispered, afraid to let himself believe that she meant what he hoped she did.

"A single household." Brennan clarified.

"Like you and me? In one apartment? One kitchen, one bed, one living room. No commutes and no picking where to go at night?" Booth's brain was having trouble keeping up with what was going on in his mind.

"Yes, Booth. Although Parker would be included. This is mainly for his benefit." Brennan smiled. "I must say though, that if we are going to live as one family unit I would prefer to live in a house opposed to an apartment."

Her words caused the mile wide smile on Booth's face to shrink. Shocked by her declaration, he gasped, "You want to live in a house? With me and Parker?"

Brennan's forehead wrinkled. "That's what I just said." She walked over to her desk and pulled out a few pieces of paper from her desk drawer. "I've actually already done a significant amount of research." Booth looked down at the information she thrust into his hands. The words blurred together. "Although there are advantages of living in an apartment, there are several benefits that living in a house offers that are statistically shown to improve the lives of small families."

Booth was trying to comprehend the facts that Brennan was pointing out to him but only one thing kept running through his mind. "You want to live in a house with me and Parker. Like a real family."

"Yes, Booth. I have stated that multiple times. Are you even listening to what I am saying now?" Brennan pointed to the first page she'd handed him. "A house would provide us with a yard and garage. While we won't have the convenience of a landlord for maintenance, you're mechanical skills are quite adequate." She swallowed once before adding, "We could also have a security system that consists of more than a chain lock on the front door."

Booth felt so relieved that he still couldn't focus entirely on what she was saying to him. "So this is what has had you all crazed lately? The fact that you feel we could be a better family if we lived in a house together?"

Brennan pouted slightly. "Booth! Stop changing the subject. I would really appreciate your input beyond repeating what I have said and asking questions with obvious answers."

Shaking his head slightly as a small attempt to clear it, Booth set the papers down on the coffee table. He stepped into Brennan's personal space and indulged himself in a second of simply staring at her beautifully riled up face. He brought his hands to the side of her face. "You want the three of us to move into a house together." He blissfully stated.

"Booooth." She groaned, unable to understand why he kept repeating her. "How many times-"

She couldn't finish her complaint though because Booth pressed his lips to hers. It was a kiss that meant something. A kiss full of love and a kiss full of happiness. Most of all though, it was a kiss that meant that he had never agreed with her more.

"I suppose you are trying to use a kiss to show me that you would also like to move in together considering you apparently unable to speak coherently."

"You got it, Babe." He quipped.

Brennan's face twisted in disgust. "Don't call me Babe."

Booth laughed and leaned into kiss her again. This time their mouths didn't part until air was necessary and even then once they caught their breath, they returned to nipping at each other's lips. Brennan whimpered when she felt his hands slide down her ribs and hips straight to the back of her thighs. They had done this enough times for her to know he wanted to carry her. The first time she opposed Booth lugging her around like some caveman, but when she felt the pleasing sensation of their lower bodies being pressed together, she didn't offer another word of protest. Booth let out a husky breath of approval when her legs wrapped around his waist.

Instead of carrying her down the hall to the bedroom like she expected, he brought her over to the couch and lay her down first so he'd be on top. "W-why aren't we going to bed?" Brennan questioned unsteadily as he brought her fingertips to his lips. He kissed each one adoringly before linking their hands and raising them above their heads.

"Our bed's a little preoccupied, Bones." He reminded while nuzzling her neck. "Did you forget?"

Brennan moaned as his mouth kissed and sucked the skin on her neck. He went back and forth with the amount of pressure he used. It both drove her wild and insured that he wouldn't leave a mark. "Do you think Parker would like to live in a house?" She had to ask before they went farther.

Booth reared back and looked her straight in the eye. "Are you kidding? We both know he's fed up with living in two apartments. He'll love it."

_ONE MONTH AGO_

_Parker determinedly dug through his toy box adding to the growing pile of cars, action figures, and blocks on his bedroom floor. He pushed his possessions back and forth until the white bottom of the chest peeked out. When the boy realized that the new transformer was nowhere to be found, he slumped down on his knees and let out a frustrated huff. Already, he had looked for his favorite toy under his bed and in the closet. He'd even circled the other rooms of his father's apartment._

_Parker pushed himself onto his feet and scurried into the living room. He found his parents sitting cozily on the couch focusing their attention on the television._

_"It's all about contact, Bones. Basically it's like this: there's a puck on the ice and you just aim to get it in other team's net. It's about manipulation, controlling the puck that your team can have the upper hand. At the end of the day we're just like soccer…except we lace up our skates, sharpen our blades, and hide behind a mask ready to make a mark." Booth attempted to once again explain the appeal of ice hockey to Brennan. He was about to point out how it, like her other favorite things, was a science. A science of deception, a science of winning, a science of skating as hard and as fast as you can to prove yourself to the opposing team until he noticed his son stepping around to their side of the sofa._

_"Hey, bub." Booth greeted when he spotted his son approaching them. "You want to help me explain hockey to your athletically challenged momma? She has no appreciation for it. I don't know if we can keep her." He teased with a good hearted laugh._

_Brennan scoffed but didn't speak. She still didn't quite grasp the concept of skating back and forth after a little round piece of plastic, but she was more than willing to listen to Booth try to communicate his passion for the sport._

_"But we have to keep her, daddy! No one else make us as happy." Parker spoke as if Brennan wasn't sitting right there in front of him. Sweetly, he leaned over the arm of the couch towards her and scrunched his face. Routinely, Brennan did the same and nuzzled her nose against his. These 'eskimo kisses' as Parker called them were becoming a usual occurrence around bedtime. She spoke no word of protest._

_When they pulled back, Parker looked at her hopefully. "Do you know where my transformer is? I looked all over for it."_

_"I believe you brought it to my apartment yesterday." She replied with a tender caress of his messy hair._

_Parker pouted as the memory of playing with the toy at their other home flooded his mind. "Can we go get it?" He begged._

_Both adults gaped at his request. "Bub, it's late. You have about twenty more minutes before it's time to lay down." Booth informed with a check of his watch._

_"But we would not travel to my apartment simply for a toy. It's not a good use of time or gasoline." Brennan added feeling that it should be known that they wouldn't follow his every wish._

_"I want to play with it!" The little boy argued._

_"Find something else to play with for a few minutes. We can go get your transformer tomorrow." Booth reassured._

_Parker crawled to the end of the couch that his parents weren't occupying. He crossed his legs and held his head up with the palms of his hands._

_Silently, Booth and Brennan's lips curved upward while they watched him mope. Although Parker being upset was no laughing matter, they had to smile at the way he'd simply get quiet and sulk. It was a very dramatic, six year old thing for him to do._

_"Parker…" Brennan trailed off in a calm voice trying to coax him out of his bad mood._

_"S'not fair." He grumbled in his hands while stubbornly keeping his eyes facing the floor._

_Booth tapped the boy's side lightly with his sock covered foot. "I know you want to play with it bu-"_  
_"Not that!" Parker denied. "It's not fair cuz I have to leave stuff at both our houses."_

_"But you've always had stuff at two houses." Booth reminded._

_The six year old sighed and turned his body ninety degrees to face them. "But we don't gotta live in two places. Let's just pick one." He insisted. "Then we can have all our stuff with us all the time."_

_Both adults were quiet while his proposal ran through their minds. Booth had considered mentioning to Bones how cumbersome it was to have to split their time between two apartments. Unbeknownst to him, she'd been having similar thoughts despite a small part of her mind screaming at her to maintain her independence by holding onto her own place. The parents caught each other's eyes._

_Without breaking eye-contact with her, Booth spoke. "Your apartment is bigger."_

_That was the only motivation Parker needed. He crawled over and awkwardly laid himself on top of them. "Pleeeease, mommy. Let's live there."_

_Brennan looked at her little boy's desperate face. She knew Booth had turned him on her purposefully. Two could play at this game. "But this apartment is a shorted distance from work and school." She reasoned. "Living there would require us to wake up earlier every day."_

_Parker immediately turned to his dad. "I don't want to wake up early. Let's bring all our stuff here!"_

_Booth groaned. The small frown on Parker's face made the father want to give him anything he wanted. This decision however was not one to be decided on a whim. "I have an idea." He announced. "How about you go find a hiding spot." Booth growled playfully and held his hands up. "Before the tickle monster comes out!"_

_Parker yelled and hopped off the couch. In the process he grabbed Brennan's hand and pulled her up behind him. "Come on Mommy or he'll get you!" He warned instantly pulling her into their game._

_Mother and son ran down the hallway into the master bedroom. Parker decided that they should squeeze into the closet. Brennan knew it'd be a tight fit, but she helped maneuver them into the abyss of clothes, shoes, and boxes of unimaginable knickknacks. Brennan held Parker tight against her chest as they silently listened to Booth stomp around the house pretending to search high and low for them._

_Quietly, so the 'tickle monster' wouldn't hear, Parker looked up at Brennan in the darkness of the closet and whispered, "I really just want to live in one house, Mommy."_

_She kissed his forehead. "I know, baby. Daddy and I will talk about it."_

_Parker smiled and focused on the door that swung open moments later. He yelped as his father reached into the closet. Booth picked a flailing Parker up from Bone's lap and attacked his torso with his dexterous fingers sending all three of them into hysterics.

* * *

_

_Kelsey here! I hope you guys enjoyed that extra-long chapter. A lot of work went into it. Like Kimmy said up top, we're both very busy. Just be patient and we promise to deliver the goodies when we can. Please drop a little review to us so we know that you all didn't forget about this story. We want to make sure we're still writing this for someone besides the two of us!_


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: It's Kimmy, again._ _I know we have some 'splainin to do but regardless, thank you for your undying loyalty and interest in our story. It amazes us to know that people care that much about the world we have created. The last couple of months have been hard: School stuff, family stuff, work stuff. Too many real-world things to handle for two teenage girls. Plus, everyone can agree that the show itself hasn't been very inspiring until very recently. So basically, we apologize that we have been less than present in the past months but we really hope that you enjoy this chapter. It's been a work in progress now for awhile and we've put a lot of hard work and late nights into it. Unfortunately, we cannot promise that we will be as active as we have been in the past until school ends for the both of us but we will do our best to not leave you for countless months without a new chapter!_

_Again, thank you for caring about our story and sticking with us even though the world doesn't seem to want us to write this story. This chapter is a little different than what we've written before, but we know you'll enjoy it. _

_:)_

_

* * *

_

The moment the words tumbled out of Brennan's mouth, Angela's eyes practically glazed over. The women were lounging in one of the multiple living areas of the Hodgins' mansion nursing mugs of tea on a blustery Saturday afternoon. Brennan had called that morning asking if she and Parker could come over because she needed some 'girl talk'. Merely hearing Brennan use the phrase 'girl talk' surprised Angela which meant she was definitely not prepared for what that girl talk was intended for.

"You're what?" She stuttered out, obviously trying to prevent her jaw from falling to her feet.

"I'm moving in with Booth and Parker. Well, technically, we are going to sell both our previous housing arrangements and purchase a new…"

Angela slowly leaned over and placed her hand over Brennan's mouth, successfully stifling her explanations. She took a deep breath in and her eyes fluttered open and closed.

"You mean to tell me that it takes you years, years of painfully obvious flirting and relentless harassment from me, to actually admit you have feelings for Booth and now you're up and selling your apartment and moving in with him so that you can give the boy that you have emotionally adopted as your son a solid home after being in a legitimate relationship for only a couple of weeks?"

Brennan, muffled from the hand that was still covering her mouth, was surprised. "While your explanation was accurate your tone sounded displeased. Based upon your previous statements I anticipated you being almost euphoric…"

Angela smiled for the first time since she broke the news and laughed out loud. "Oh, Sweetie…I am! Don't get me wrong. I've been waiting for you guys to play house for years now. I'm just not used to you telling me that I was right."

As she finished, Brennan's brow furrowed. "I don't recall saying anything about right or wrong."

"Believe me, Bren. I know you, and that is as close to you conceding that I was right about love that I'll ever get."

Brennan knew that Angela was right but she would never admit to her own belligerence so she merely shifted her weight in her place on the couch. "I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Sure you don't…" Angela replied, smiling to herself in the victorious feeling that she finally let herself embrace fully.

The women talked and laughed, slowly allowing the conversation to flow away from Brennan's revelation. Angela decided that talking about the decision to move in together was a big enough step for her best friend; she didn't need to push her any further. God knows, with Angela's luck that would have broken Brennan's resolve and she had already begun picking out housewarming gifts in her mind so that was something she definitely did not want to be responsible for.

Once she had sipped down the last drop of her tea, Angela stood from her seat revealing an indent in the extremely plush, and knowing Hodgins, expensive couch. She leaned over and checked the contents of her friend's mug. Seeing that it was almost empty as well, Angela leaned over to loop her empty pointer finger through the handle.

"Want another?"

Brennan stood up to follow her into the kitchen. "Here, let me…"

_CRASH_

All of a sudden, the fact that Parker had been brought along was so clear that it almost smacked them in the face.

Brennan and Angela ran towards the noise instantaneously, the sound of the tea mugs in Angela's grip tapping one another mirroring the sound of their footsteps on the hardwood floor almost exactly. As their steps became silent, when the hardwood of the hallway turned into the carpet of the den, Brennan focused her eyes not on the small, remorseful looking boy in front of her but the obviously destroyed Xbox console that sat in pieces in front of his feet.

"PARKER MATTHEW BOOTH."

"I didn't mean it Mommy! I know you said not to play with it, but before he left Dr. Jack made sure my game was in and everything but it got all fuzzy and whenever it got weird before he would just go up and press the big green button. So…when it got fuzzy now I tried to press the button but its kinda high up and I got on my tiptoes and I fell and I knocked it over." Parker was stuttering and both Brennan and Angela could see his bottom lip begin to quiver in anticipation of tears.

Angela smiled. "It's okay, honey. Dr. Jack could afford thousands of…"

Brennan broke from her position next to Angela and walked towards Parker, grabbing his hand. "That's not the point, Angela."

Seeing the seriousness in her friends expression and the redness flooding her face, Angela sobered. "Seriously, Sweetie. It's okay. He didn't mean to break it. Accidents happen."

"Thanks, Angela, but we're going to head home." Brennan pulled Parker by his hand, passing Angela without making direct eye contact.

"Why do we have to leave? Angela said Dr. Jack can buy another one!" Parker protested, dragging his feet.

"That is not the point, Parker. You disobeyed me so we are going home." She directed her son towards the coat rack in the main foyer but before she was completely out of sight she heard an amused voice.

"Boy, does someone sound like a Mom…"

Brennan turned her head and stared at her best friend, who was now chuckling rather loudly. She shot her the dirtiest look that she could manage before stressing a "Goodbye Angela" as she pushed an arm through the sleeve of her jacket and turned back towards her son.

Angela watched as Brennan, despite her frustrations, still helped Parker zip his jacket up and tie his shoes. She smiled as she watched her friend be instinctively nurturing…_And boy does she look like one too._

* * *

"I specifically told you not to touch the game without Dr. Jack present." Brennan reminded the six year old pouting in the backseat of her smart car. She stole glances of him in the rear view mirror at every stop light and yield sign. He hadn't uncrossed his arms since he brashly insisted that he buckle himself in.

"There wasn't anything good on tv! I like playing the xbox more." Parker threw back, defending his actions.

"I'm sure Dr. Jack likes to play his xbox too, but he can't now can he?" Brennan replied. Parker huffed and dramatically threw his head back. He stared out of the window appearing apathetic to the situation. The mother clenched her hands tighter on the steering wheel bracing herself for Parker's reaction to her next few words. "I don't think that it would be fair for you to get to play any of your video games until Dr. Jack can play his."

The boy immediately snapped back to attention. "What?" He gasped.

"Your video games are going in the closet until we can find the time to go out and buy Dr. Jack a new xbox." She sternly informed, driving her car onto the on-ramp in the direction of her apartment.

"But that's not fair! Daddy is supposed to show me how to get to the next level of Lego Batman tonight!" He argued.

"I think it is fair. " Unfortunately, she came face to face with a long train of traffic. The car pulled to stop and she turned slightly in her seat to look at her son. "Parker, you broke a rule, so you're going to be punished."

She hoped her logical reasoning would help him understand. She expected him apologize and accept the consequences. That's what he had always done in the past. He was a good boy.

Nothing however could have prepared her for the words he then spat in her direction.

"I hate you!"

The rest of the car ride was silent.

* * *

The moment the car pulled to a halt outside of Booth's apartment building, Parker began to squirm in his seat. He attempted to unbuckle himself but failed so he started to pull at the door handle instead.

"Calm down, mister. It's locked, you aren't getting anywhere. Just because you are upset does not give you the right to be disrespectful and rushed." She freed herself from her own seat belt and opened the car door roughly, flicking the unlock button as she proceeded to slam it shut. Her frustration sped up her stride and helped her circle the car to Parker's door in less than ten paces.

As she opened the door and reached to unbuckle her son from his seat, Brennan softened her features and looked sympathetically at the boy. "Parker. I know you're sad but I had to give a consequence. That is the way parents teach their children how to behave..."

"I don't care. I want Daddy. He's not this mean." Parker humphed, knowing that crossing his arms would only further prevent him from getting out of the car seat he was currently trapped in.

Brennan felt defeated. She knew she was correct in her reaction to Parker's behavior but she could hardly bear to hear such harsh things coming from his tiny mouth let alone cause them. He usually snuck a kiss to her forehead or cheek when she retrieved him from the backseat after a car ride, but this time she only received face full of curls because his head was turned from her.

The urge to continue lecturing Parker on the validity of her actions still nagged at Brennan as she sighed and lifted him from his unbuckled seat onto the ground. Yet as she watched him run desperately towards the entrance of the building, all she could do was chase him.

She knew she would only make this worse without Booth.

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Parker yelled repeatedly as he burst through the door of the apartment and ran in the direction of the living room, where his father was sitting on the couch and watching television.

Booth had heard the cries and turned to find the boy who voiced them, but he did not expect the sudden pain in his abdomen as his six year old son appeared out of nowhere and flung himself into his lap.

"Ooof. Hey buddy, what's with the yelling?" Booth inquired, tapping his nose on the forehead of the child whose face buried itself into his FBI t-shirt. He hadn't heard the front door shut but he did hear softer footsteps approaching him from behind.

Booth turned to see Brennan haphazardly throwing her keys back into her purse. Her force surprised him. Then as he moved his focus from her hands to her face he saw the grief in her eyes. Then he knew something was up.

Moving his hand to press his son's body further into his own, he softly asked "Okay, Bones, what am I missing here?"

Instead of answering his question, Brennan simply moved to prop herself on the side of an armchair. "Ask your son, not me."

Booth lowered into an even deeper level of concern. He scratched Parker's back to get his attention but the face remained firmly planted in his chest. Booth breathed in deeply, he wasn't playing this game.

"Park, look at me." He spoke sternly. Parker recognized the seriousness in his tone and rolled his head so that just enough of his face was uncovered that he could see and speak.

"Don't let Mommy take away my games forever. Tell her she can't." He mumbled into Booth's chest, staring with only one visible eye..

"First off, it is very difficult to tell Mommy that she can't do something if she wants to do it and secondly, Mommy wouldn't take away your games forever anyway."

"Yes, she would." Parker stated pointedly without hesitation.

Booth was confused. "Why would she do that?"

Then the words finally began to tumble out of Parker's mouth.

"Because I broke Dr. Jack's Xbox so Mommy said I she had to punish me and that's not fair because it was an accident and I just want to get to the new level of Batman like you promised and we can't because Mommy is being mean and I just..."

Brennan knew exactly what was going to come next and she knew exactly why he wasn't going to say it in front of Booth. Nevertheless, the boy's father needed to know.

"You just hate me, right Parker?"

Booth's head snapped in Brennan's direction. "Bones. Did he say that he hated you?"

She didn't answer. She simply looked down at her hands resting on her jean clad thighs. Booth could tell by her discomfort that that was exactly what was said.

"Parker, did you tell Bones that you hated her?" The portion of the child's face that had separated from it's fathers chest attempted to return its completely burrowed position but was stopped by Booth's hand holding it in place. "Now, Parker."

"Yes, Daddy, but she was being mean..." Booth couldn't even let him finish that statement.

"That doesn't matter, Parker. No one ever deserves to be told that they are hated. Especially by someone who they love very much. I know that breaking Dr. Jack's Xbox was a mistake but sometimes we need to have consequences for mistakes so we learn to be careful and not make it again. Bones wasn't trying to be mean, buddy, she was trying to teach you to be careful with things that do not belong to you. I know you were angry and upset but Bones has been there for us all along, even when she didn't have to be, and the last thing she deserves is to hear that the things that she does for us aren't appreciated. Now, I want you to go to your room for a little while and think about how you must have made Bones feel by telling her that you hated her. Once you've calmed down a little you are welcome to come back in here."

Once he finished his little speech, Booth looked at the expression on his son's face. He could already see the remorse creeping into his tired eyes. Everything was going to be okay. With that confidence, Booth nodded his head in the direction of Parker's room and the little boy climbed off of his lap and began to walk away. Yet before he got far enough out of earshot, Booth called back to him.

"We love you, kiddo. No matter what you do or say or feel. You could never make us stop loving you."

And with that sentiment, Parker exited the living room with the first smile that he had worn in hours.

Booth took a deep breath and let all the air release from his lungs before he stood up from the couch. He took two slow steps towards Brennan who was still leaning against the side of his treasured lazyboy. Without words, he brought his hands to her forearms and comfortingly rubbed before dragging them down to intertwine their hands.

"He doesn't hate you." He calmly voiced.

Brennan's head bobbed once. "I know."

Booth's reared back slightly, put off by the surety of her words. "O-okay." He was sure he'd have to explain this part of parenting to her.

"I will admit that hearing Parker say…" She closed her eyes for a moment. "…those words upset me, but I understand that children often say things they don't mean when they're overcome with emotion. After we went to the circus he said he wanted to be an acrobat, but I assume that was because of combination of cotton candy and a rush of serotonin." Her eyes narrowed when she took in his shocked expression. "What?"

"It's just…normally I have to explain these things." Booth honestly said, feeling a bit foolish when he spoke it out loud. "I should have known you'd catch onto this parenting thing fast." He dropped one of her hands and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You do with everything else."

"I am learning quite fast." The corner of Brennan's mouth turned up. "But I like that you don't mind explaining things to help me be a better mother."

"You're the best mother." He insisted, dropping light a kiss on her lips.

The moment their mouths parted, her eyebrow crinkled. "There's no way to gather enough information to accurately make that statement. You're biased."

He let out a small groan. "Just accept the compliment, Bones."

Before she could say another word, he threw his body weight to the side and they collapsed onto the easy chair. Brennan landed in his lap. Booth pulled her legs up so they'd lay perpendicular to his own stretched out in front of him. When both of their laughs settled, she rested her open palm against the side of his face. His afternoon stubble scraped against her smooth skin. "I very much enjoy seeing you be paternal."

Booth raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Well in that case…" He reached for her feet and pulled her flats off. "…take these off in the house young lady." He growled before attacking her neck with his mouth.

Brennan giggled – he loved that he could make her do that now – and leaned into his embrace. Booth controlled himself though. They couldn't get too intense on the living room chair in broad daylight. After a few more nips to the sensitive spot behind her ear, he pulled back. "How did Angela take the news?"

"After the initial shock, she was very excited." Brennan recalled. "We didn't talk for very long before the incident with Parker."

"Well, I'm sure she'll insist on helping decorate. She'll probably want to paint everything which is fine but don't let her go crazy okay? I really don't want anything too eccentric. No red bathrooms okay?" He looked at her for approval, but instead found her gazing at him. He knew that the look on her face meant that her mind was somewhere else. "What?"

"What you said to Parker made me feel very special. Thank you." She admitted quietly.

"I'll always defend you, Bones, even if I'm talking to a six year old." He kissed her cheek. "Always have, always will."

"So will I." She assured. They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled back. "You don't think a red bathroom would be aesthetically pleasing?"

They bantered back and forth for the next thirty minutes about every decision they'd have to make about their future house. They stuck to the fun stuff such as how many plants were too many and if they'd actually insist on shoes being taken off by the door. Their conversation was put on hold though when Parker's voice sounded. "Daddy?" He called.

"Yes?" Booth's loud voice asked back.

"Can I come out now?"

Booth glanced at Brennan. She nodded. "Yeah, bud!"

Parker's small feet carried him from his bedroom to the living room. He was carrying his stuffed puppy in one hand while the other was preoccupied by playing with the hem of his pajama shirt.

His feet shuffled halfway to the chair that Booth and Brennan were currently cuddled in before he stopped. "Can I talk to you, Mommy?"

"Sure, baby." Brennan kissed Booth quickly on the lips before she stood up in order to let him stand up from the chair. Booth rose and looked between the woman in front of him and his son, who was waiting nervously in the middle of the living room. He knew the two of them couldn't stay upset with each other for long. Plus, Parker was his son. If anyone could charm Temperance Brennan out of frustration, it would be a Booth.

He smiled as he walked away from the two in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm going to go get us all some ice cream, I'll be back."

"Booth, it is way too close to bed time for ice cream." Brennan .

"Nope, Bones. We definitely need ice cream. No arguments." Then Booth disappeared into the kitchen before Brennan could further disagree.

With the absence of Booth, both Brennan and Parker turned and looked at one another with apologetic eyes. They remained silent, though, until Brennan sat back down on the easy chair and patted the tops of her thighs as a beckoning to her small son. "Come here and sit with me?"

Parker continued his shuffle to the easy chair and handed Brennan his teddy bear so he could climb into her lap easily. As soon as he settled himself in her lap and pulled his stuffed animal into his chest, Parker rested his head against her shoulder and looked up into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mommy." Parker apologized, unconsciously rubbing the fur of his bear. "I didn't mean it when I said I hate you. I love you, Mommy, and I was just really angry because it was an accident and I didn't mean to break Dr. Jack's game. I know you weren't trying to be mean though. So I am very sorry because I love you too much to hate you ever." As he finished his apology, he buried his face into Brennan's shoulder and rubbed his nose against the fabric of her shirt.

Brennan chuckled at the child's apology and used her right hand to move his face back out of hiding. "I accept your apology, Parker. I am sorry about the way that I reacted as well. I could have still taught you the importance of respecting other people's while still understanding your intentions in the matter and the probability of an accident like that..."

In the midst of her apology, Brennan noticed a hint of confusion beneath the drowsy haze in Parker's eyes. She breathed deeply and started over, trying to think about what would make the small boy feel better.

"I mean, I am sorry too, baby. Everyone has bad days where we feel angry or sad or upset. I know your Daddy and I have had a lot of days like this. Then, sometimes when we are upset, we say and do things that we don't mean, especially to the people we love the most and sometimes we can hurt them. The good thing is though, that no matter how angry you get and what you do to those people, they will always love you."

Parker leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Brennan's forehead. Smiling, he said "I'll always love you too, Mommy."

_**Three Weeks Earlier**_

_It was past midnight before Booth felt even a rustle coming from the far left side of the bed where Brennan had silently rolled herself into hours before. Yet when his drowsy state finally did recognize some life from her it sounded more like a mumble than a rustle._

"_Huh?" He murmured into his pillow, half convinced he had made the noise up._

"_I said I was sorry, Booth." That time he definitely heard her, followed by a big enough bed-squeal to indicate significant movement. He flipped his own body so that he was facing her side of the bed instead of the wall and was immediately met by a piercing yet apologetic gaze._

_He chuckled and started to inch his body towards hers. "Why would you need to apologize? I get called an insufferable, chauvinistic pig all the time. It doesn't even faze me anymore."_

_Despite her furrowing eyebrows, Brennan began to move closer to Booth as well. "There is no need to be facetious, Booth. In retrospect, I can recognize that I overreacted earlier today."_

"_Oh, really?" Booth replied, once again allowing a smile to creep onto his face as he crossed enough space to cup Brennan's cheek in his hand._

_Brennan sighed, obviously ignoring his tone. "Yes, really. After analyzing the situation, I realize that due to the supposed danger of the situation and the current state of our relationship, you were probably merely intending to protect me from harm opposed to underestimating my capabilities."_

"_Imagine that."_

_Brennan leaned in a pressed a soft, yet firm kiss on her partner's lips. "I still love you, Booth and I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise."_

"_I had no doubts that you still loved me, Bones." Booth could sense her skepticism but kissed her again before he continued. "Sometimes when a person is really upset they say things that they don't mean. In reality, those words are fueled by the anger and the people they are said to understand that. I won't say that it didn't hurt, because it did sting a little, but there wasn't a single moment where I thought you'd stopped loving me."_

_A gorgeous smile appeared on Brennan's face. "Really?"_

"_Of course. That's the way love works, Bones. It takes a whole lot more than a couple half-hearted insults to squander love. It is one of the most enduring things in the world." Booth breathed deeply and pulled Brennan as tightly to his chest as he could. "Plus, I never would have thought so beforehand but you're a cuddler. You wouldn't miss out on a night in Seeley Booth's arms."_

"_I suppose that is an accurate statement." Brennan laughed as relief flooded her. _

_There was silence for awhile, as the couple enjoyed the feel of one another's arms around them. Booth had almost lulled to sleep before he heard Brennan murmur again._

"_I'll always love you, Booth."_

* * *

_Hi everyone, Kelsey here. I'm not going to talk long because Kimmy basically covered everything, but I wanted to reiterate how happy we are that some of you haven't forgotten about this fic. We're sorry life got busy, but what can you do? We'll try to write more. Hopefully show will inspire us, but I can promise that by the time summer comes around we will do nothing but write. Please don't give up on this fic. Leave your thoughts if you can!_


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Hey guys, it's Kimmy. Long time, no talk. We know its been forever and we're not going to bore you with long explanations so here is the abbreviated version. For awhile, we didn't know if we wanted to continue after last season ended to avoid being too much like the show however we eventually missed it too much and had to continue. Also, as of the last few weeks, Kelsey and I have planned out and outlined the rest of the story, which (hopefully) should make it easier for us to update more than once a year. As always, thanks so much for the loyalty and the interest in our story. We hope you enjoy this chapter, we think its pretty good. :)_

* * *

"New house, new house, going to a new house, gunna have a pool, a real big pool, all to myself in our new house," Parker sang aloud as he emptied the contents of his toy chest into a large, cardboard box.

He had been watching his parents pack for the last few days, so he knew exactly how to do it. Bigger stuff goes on the bottom. Smaller stuff goes on top. Stuff that breaks has to have something soft around it.

He was so, _so_, excited to move. He loved having two rooms, but now he was going to get one that was much bigger, and Angela was going to help paint it whatever color he wanted, and he was getting a _huge_ backyard.

And the pool! He told everyone about the pool. How there were stairs to the shallow end and the deep end was so deep that you couldn't even swim to the bottom without a scuba suit. There was a diving board and even a hot tub for when daddy's back hurts. It was going to be so awesome. He couldn't wait to live there. That's why he decided to help his parents by packing his own belongings.

He was attempting to fold the box flaps in that special way that closes it all up without tape when he heard footsteps coming towards his room. He looked up to see his father standing in the doorway wearing a paint-splattered shirt. He had been doing touch ups in the apartment all day, whatever that meant.

"What are you doing, bub?"

"Packing, _duh,_" he informed.

"Your mother doesn't like that word," Booth reminded as he approached him.

Parked nodded. "I know. She says we shouldn't assume people are as smart as us. I'm sorry." He tried folding the box closed once more, but he couldn't get the flaps down the right way. He grunted a bit and started bending them with more force.

"Let me help," his father insisted. Booth kneeled on the hardwood floor next to him and easily folded the flaps over one another.

"Show me how to do that. I wanna do it by myself."

"How come?"

The little boy sighed. He wanted to use the _duh_ word again, but he didn't. "The faster our stuff is in boxes, the faster I get my pool."

Booth patted his son on his shoulder. "It's almost December, Park. You're not going to be going swimming for a few months."

Parker frowned for a moment, but then a memory reignited his spirit. "Remember that time we were watching TV and it showed all those people jumping into the ocean at the beach in the winter? They did the Polar Plunge! We can do that all the time."

Booth laughed loudly. "Unless you wanna get sick, I don't think that's a good idea."

Parker looked at his father pointedly. "You don't get sick from being cold. Mommy says that's a myth. Viruses make you sick."

Booth groaned and quietly muttered, "One house. Two squints."

* * *

She had never liked moving. As a teenager, it always seemed like she would have to move foster homes just as soon as she had become familiar enough with a place to even begin considering it as a possibility for home. Every place has new smells and new colors, new people and new sounds and she never had enough time for these things to stop being new.

Of course her current situation was much different than relocating to another foster home, but, as she felt the cardboard under her fingers and heard packing peanuts shuffle around inside of it as she placed it on top of her coffee table, she could not help the feeling of dislodgment from creeping back.

Looking around her living room, Brennan saw Moroccan vases, vintage Italian key bowls and other decorative touches that were placed to accent the furniture in an aesthetically pleasing way. She saw things that existed to be used and things that existed to sit on shelves. Not to mention all of the toys that had finally found homes that were both accessible and incapable of being tripped over. Multiple trinkets, as her father called them. Chotchkies, as a magazine article once wrote. Crap, as Booth likened it. These things sat in a balance that had been reached through time and ample living. Even though her moving was now both willing and enthusiastic, she still felt bad for disrupting that balance.

She sighed, opened the cardboard box and began to dislodge the objects from their shelved home in the entertainment set she had purchased to make her television sit more naturally within the décor of her room. It was Angela's idea. Her strategy was habitual - remove, wrap, place in box, cushion –and her thoughts centered around where all of the new things would go and if they should even be going in the first place.

This tedium remained stagnant for the first five or so objects until she found herself holding a small pig figurine that, before now, she had forgotten sat on the piece of furniture. Jasper. She smiled. A damn _pig figurine_ made Temperance Brennan smile. She couldn't even say that that surprised her anymore. She was dating Booth, she had become the mother to his son and they were now moving into a house together. Smiling over pigs was the least significant change in her life.

These changes were for the good, though. She was so happy. For the first time since she was a child, she came home every day to a man who loved her instead of takeout, paperwork and unresolved sexual tension. Booth was there to hold her when she need to be held, to talk to her when she needed conversation, and to go to bed with her when she needed something of a more carnal nature. For some reason, looking at Jasper, Brennan could smile knowing that all of the changes between herself and Booth, though drastic, were going to work out. This move wasn't a move in order to run or in order to find a place that she fit; it was to find a place that fit her and the family she had built. She never thought she could have this, to be honest she never really thought it was actually a probable reality. Somehow, though, Booth had made that impossible reality into truth. She was lucky to have someone as stubborn and generous as him in her life. She was glad he chose to give an imaginary pet pig to her.

Now she wasn't a woman to make generalizations or to accept something as truth without ample evidence, so a miniature pig providing all the proof that she needed to know that her relationship with Booth and their future together were going to be incredible was worrisome, yet true.

"Maybe I should see a doctor," she muttered to herself before giggling.

Regardless of her possible sudden mental hysteria, Brennan now looked around the room and saw opportunity in the things whose job was to sit prettily in the shelves. In the toys and the vases and the trinkets and the crap. No longer were they being displaced begrudgingly, knowing that their next place was only temporary as well. They were now being given a new place that could be called home from day one. A revamp to the life that, although being acceptable, had not been extraordinary. In a new living room, they could be extraordinary.

As she continued her work of - remove, wrap, place in box, cushion - Brennan now smiled, the bad memories of her past trampled under the feet of Jasper the miniature pig figurine and replaced with thoughts of living room that she shared with a man with whom she could share more of her life than just her living space.

* * *

Booth closed the flaps on a cardboard box with _Random Closet Things_ written in black sharpie crookedly along the one side. Patting the top of the box to check if it was secure, Booth muttered, "Finally," and scooped it up in his arms. The box wasn't too heavy considering it only contained a few random items that didn't belong in a specific place however he still needed to pause in the hallway to readjust his grip to prevent it all crashing to the ground.

"What do you have in there?" Brennan called from his kitchen, his pause for readjustment placing him right in her line of sight.

Booth scrambled, knowing she wasn't going to like what was inside. He had hoped he could sneak the box under her nose and get it into the new house without her complaints. "Nothing really, just some extra stuff that I found on the shelf of my closet." Hopefully that was vague enough without seeming conspicuous.

Brennan placed the medium sized dish that had been in her hands inside of the box next to her on the kitchen counter and started to move through the hallway towards Booth.

"I need to know what's in there so I can check it off on my inventory list." She spoke as she walked, somewhat quickly, and stopped just shy of running into him. As she stilled her hands fell to her waist and her eyes looked expectantly at the object in Booth's hands.

"You have an inventory list? No, wait, I'm not surprised." Booth panicked slightly, his eyes flickering from Brennan to the box. "Just give me the list, I'll check it off myself."

Brennan rolled her eyes, laughing internally at the idea of letting Booth anywhere near her organizational tactics. Moving quickly, she moved her right arm towards the box's lid and flicked it open.

Brennan scoffed. Booth groaned. She dug her hands into the box and pulled out a plastic yellow hat adorned with tubes and two cylindrical holders on either side of the crest.

"Booth – your beer hat is not coming with us. No."

"So your weirdo foreign art stuff gets to come and I can't have one measly hat that allows me to drink beer hands-free?"

"Precisely. My 'weirdo foreign art stuff' is tasteful."

He snatched the hat out of her grip possessively, half afraid she would throw it away on the spot. "But my beer hat is useful! It doesn't just sit there on a table silently intimidating visitors. It lets me have beer…without having it hold it...or put it down somewhere and come get it every time I want a drink. This is the height of invention."

"The height of invention?" Brennan laughed derisively.

"Yes." Booth smiled, recognizing her mocking. "And if the hat goes, I go."

"You are a crazy person."

"Now, you know, if you don't start being nice soon you are going to lose all chance of ever getting to use this hat…and you know you want to."

Brennan ignored him. "You can keep it." Booth's mouth began to form into a silent cheer but Brennan pointed her finger into his face, merely an inch from his nose. "But it isn't going to be sitting on the coffee table or anything. You keep it in the closet and bring it out only when you are going to use it or show it off to your male friends."

"I suppose those seem like acceptable terms." Booth said, squinting his eyes and nodding his head tightly to look serious. However, a smile twitched at the side of his mouth, betraying him.

Brennan shook her head in amusement, taking the hat from where it had been sitting in Booth's free hand and crouching down to place it back into the box that was now sitting patiently on the floor of the hallway.

"Is there a miniature basket in there?"

"It's a door basketball hoop. You hang it on the back of your door and shoot a little basketball into it. My record is 53 straight made shots."

"I am moving in with two children."

"It won't go in the bedroom. I'll put it in Parker's room and we can play it far from your disapproving eyes, alright? You'll never see a single mini-basketball. " Booth flung his now free arms over Brennan's shoulders and placed a firm but quick kiss on her lips.

"Fine." Brennan drew out with a smile on her face, returning his quick kiss with a slightly longer, more lingering one before removing herself from his shoulders and picking up the discarded box.

"You're lucky you're physically appealing, Booth. Otherwise, the fact that you spent enough time shooting little balls into a hoop on the door to create record for it would be rather concerning." Brennan turned, carrying the box into the living area to place it with the rest of the boxes that had been packed that morning.

Booth cringed, placing his hands over his heart, mocking as if she had shot him. However he quickly shrugged it off. "You know what? I can accept that."

* * *

A large oak door swung open with a bang as a large cardboard box with two sets of sweat pant clad legs wobbling beneath it carried it through the door frame. Barely five feet inside the hall, the box fell to the floor and one woman began to massage her forearm lightly.

"What the hell was in there, Bren?" Angela said slightly wincing as she began to move her kneading along her arm. "…And I swear, if it is a box full of Mongolian Tribal Skull Candles or something you owe me a drink because that's just gross."

Brennan shook her head and laughed at Angela's comment as she leaned against the doorframe that she had just walked through. "Firstly, I have no knowledge of the existence of any variety of Mongolian Tribal Skull Candle." She paused, appraising Angela's raised eyebrows as a sign that she had been joking, before continuing on. "And secondly, the box merely contains a small percentage of my office and paper supplies."

"Small percentage?" Angela laughed and released her arm from the massage, leaning against the doorframe opposite of her friend. "I don't think I knew what I was getting into when you asked me to help you move. I believe the legal term for that is entrapment."

"Entrapment? I recall a conversation in which you forcefully demanded that you help decorate and organize the new house because my previous 'gloom and doom' theme was a little too harsh for a 'family home'."

"Decorating and carrying boxes are two entirely different things, Sweetie."

Both women laughed. As the laughter faded away, observation and appreciation replaced it. Angela's eyes slowly took in the entrance way that she stood in, it was not the first time that she had seen this room, for Brennan had taken pictures upon her own request, but it was the first time that she stood inside of it. It was absolutely gorgeous. Brennan, who was watching her friend's face as it analyzed her surroundings.

"Isn't it great? It is not only extremely aesthetically pleasing, but its size and open rooms also very conventional and functional for a household with a young male child."

"Yes, Sweetie, all of those things." Angela smiled. "Honestly, I'm happy you found a gorgeous place like this at all, after all the horror stories you told me. I was beginning to think you were making things up."

Brennan's forehead creased with concentration as she leaned forward and ran her finger alongside one of the boxes, avoiding the full reality of Angela's comment. "The whole process wasn't exceedingly exhausting however there were some moments that I wish we could have avoided."

"Yeah, you really could have done without that whole 'Realtor hits on prospective buyer, prospective buyer's boyfriend becomes protective and, after a short verbal exchange, punches realtor in the face, prospective buyer must consequently find a new realty company entirely' thing." Angela laughed as she pushed herself forward from the doorframe, so she could see her friend's face.

"Accurate point." Brennan conceded seriously, yet a small smile gave her away. "I must say it was quite arousing to see Booth so protective. However, I did not anticipate it coming to an actual physical altercation."

Angela snorted. "Have you ever met Booth? Dark brown hair, masculine features, looks for any and all opportunities to apply that masculinity in a violent or sexual way? Geez, you'd think I was the one sleeping with him…"

"You say that like you wouldn't. Given the proper circumstances of course." The woman broke out into laughter, both thoroughly enjoying the chance to talk and joke with one another.

"In all seriousness though," Brennan continued once the laughter subsided and she had regained steady control over her breathing "The power that he can unleash still catches me off guard sometimes."

"Considering he created a pact with his son to deny any possible houses that did not have pretty little pool sitting in the back yard, I do not find your surprise that unbelievable."

"He was trying to give his son the things he was never able to have himself, I find that to be incredibly…" Angela placed her finger to Brennan's lips, succeeding in silencing her explanation.

"Brennan, the man just wanted a pool. Stop lying to yourself." Again the women began to laugh. Suddenly, a large bang emanated from the room above where the woman stood and both of their heads shot up as if they would be able to see through the ceiling to ascertain the source of the crash.

Brennan quickly lowered her gaze knowingly, however, Angela remained staring at the ceiling for a moment longer. "What are those two knuckleheads up to again?"

"Booth is finishing up building the bed frame for our bed and Parker insisted on being his assistant."

"Well knowing those two, the little guy is probably going to need our help making sure his father doesn't get hurt." Angela threw her arm around Brennan's shoulder and pressed their sides together in small hug. "So what do you say we go finish grabbing these creepy boxes of yours and then go provide some supervision to the bed building process."

"I suppose the term supervision suggests that we will not be assisting in the building." Brennan said with a smile as the two friends squeezed through the doorframe without removing themselves from their side-embrace.

"Of course not, we're women. We're around to look pretty, bring refreshments and offer criticism to ensure the job is done to our satisfaction. I obviously have taught you nothing…"

* * *

Their faces covered by an unrealistically large sheet of paper embroidered with blue diagrams and some sort of Asian characters, Booth and Parker laid on a mattress that sat on the floor bordered by the partially constructed frame of a bed.

"Maybe you could tell Mommy you wanna camp instead. You can borrow my tent, Daddy." Parker said, puffs of exhalation propelling the unfolded instruction manual from his mouth. The Booth men had spent over two hours unsuccessfully trying to decipher unhelpful diagrams and small pictures that were meant to represent words, the only signs of their effort in four thin slabs of wood that looked as if they were securely held together.

Booth ignored his son's suggestion out of frustration. "The next time Mommy tries to convince me to import anything that I'll have to build from another country, you tell me I'm crazy, okay Park?"

Confusion showed on Parker's face yet he nodded in agreement anyway, understanding his father's need for reassurance. "Alrighty, Daddy."

The two boys laid there in silence for a couple more moments before Parker gripped his fists around the directions, pulled them off of himself and his father and sat up. "Get up, Daddy! We can't let a bed beat us!" He shot off the ground towards the toolbox that had sat near their feet, got onto his knees and began to rummage through it. Booth sat up slowly, chuckling as he watched his son digging through his tools with furrowed brows.

"What are you looking for, bub?" Booth moved towards his son and gently removed his hands from his work.

"The hammer and the screw turner-thing, please." As Parker spoke he relaxed back to sit on his feet and began to bounce slightly. Booth reached into his tools, grabbing his hammer, a large screwdriver and a smaller one for Parker to use. As he handed Parker his screwdriver he wondered quickly whether or not a boy of six should know enough about tools to correctly name a screwdriver but the excitement on his face upon receiving his own tool quickly wiped those thoughts from Booth's mind. With those thoughts gone, his irrational bed rage returned and was apparently visible on his face.

Parker stopped bouncing, stood on his knees, and placed his hands on his father's shoulders encouragingly. "Come on, Daddy! We can do it! It's only a bed. Now that we have a real house we're gunna have to do grown up things like build beds. We gotta suck it up!"

His enthusiasm made Booth laugh out loud. "Alright, Boss. Let's get to it." However, as Parker ventured to retrieve the forgotten instruction manual, Booth grabbed his arm and for a moment studied just how much bigger his own hand was than his sons.

Booth raised his eyes towards Parker's and smiled "You're happy we have a house now aren't you, kiddo?"

"Duh," he suddenly paused remembering the rule about that word. "I mean yeah, Daddy! It's awesome. It's so much bigger than the places we used to live! There are stairs inside and a whole room just for eating in and my bike could go so fast down that hallway and there are trees outside and we have a pool, pools are so awesome, and there is room for us to play ball just like we used to at the park and I saw a kid like me outside next door when we came in and he had a dog, maybe we could even get a dog..."

Booth ruffled Parker's hair. "Slow down, Park. It's going to be awhile until we are making any new additions to our family. Also...Mommy is not going to let you ride your new bike inside the house."

Parker humphed, knowingly defeated. "Well, if I can't ride my bike inside I'm going to need something to carry me around. This house is so biiiig!"

"Good try, mister. It's you, me and Mommy for now. Maybe, though, if you're nice to me, I'll give you a ride or two downstairs if its really that big of a hassle." Booth wrapped his arms around his son and picked him up, spinning him in the air. Parker squealed in delight and stretched his arms out like wings while Booth carefully avoided running into the loosely assembled bed-frame that he had momentarily forgotten laid dangerously elevated off the floor near his feet.

"Giving rides on the job, Booth?" A female voice suddenly came from the doorway, "With that habit it's amazing you two get anything done at work."

"_Angela!"_ Brennan groaned as she entered the room, only catching sight of Booth placing his son safely on the ground. She quickly looked around the boys' feet, studying the state of the bed frame. "Booth, you've been up here for at least two hours."

"And?" Booth said exasperatedly.

"Well, given the clear steps outlined in the manual and the approximate time one would need to complete those steps then..."

"Clear steps, my ass. You get over here and do it, then."

Angela's eyes widened and flicked between Parker and her squabbling friends. Someone had to give them a moment without the tool-belted boy to...diffuse the tension. "Oh, boy. I could really use a lemonade right now. Parker, could you come show me where the glasses are?"

"Sure, Angela." He turned to his father and handed him the screwdriver that he had been tightly holding on to. "Don't break anything while I'm gone."

Despite his frustration, Booth had to smile at that one. "I'll try not to, bub. I can't make any promises though."

With that, Parker grabbed Angela's hand and led her out the door towards the stairs. Before Angela was completely out of sight, she winked heartily and laughed. "Come on, tool man. Let's get some refreshments."

As Angela and Parker descended the stairs and ventured through the house towards the kitchen, their footsteps slowly quieted and left Booth and Brennan in silence. It was Booth's frustration that finally broke it.

"Well, Ms. Clear steps and approximate time, why don't you try building a bed with this." Booth handed her the instruction manual that had given him so much trouble.

"Oh, Chinese. I only really know conversational Mandarin but there is a chance it could help in this..."

"Give that back." Booth swatted the manual out of her hands and dropped it onto the ground. He chuckled somewhat darkly. "Of course, you know Chinese. Tell me, do the Chinese speak about tables conversationally often?"

"Booth, sarcasm is hardly going to build this bed."

Silence retook the room.

"Why is this bothering you so much? It's just a bed and I can help you decode the language."

"That's exactly it! It's just a bed." Booth pouted and his anger began to deflate. "How can something so comfy be so evil?"

Brennan laughed. "Well, if you believe the bed is possessed with evil spirits then maybe we should wait until tomorrow to continue construction."

"Bones...I don't actually..."

Brennan sighed, accustomed to explaining her attempts at joking. "I know. You taught me that using humor to bring light to stressed situations is often an easy and successful tactic so I figured this instance would be a good opportunity to."

"Okay. Yes, good joke, Bones." Booth's mouth shaped into a smile for the first time since Brennan came upstairs.

"As I was saying, considering you believe the bed to be possessed, it might be a good idea to leave the bed alone and create a makeshift bed somewhere else in the house this evening. After all, it is quite large."

Booth smiled even wider, his frustration beginning to melt away. "That's a great idea, Bones! We can unpack a bunch of pillows and blankets and have a sleepover with Parker in the living room tonight. He'll love it!" He pulled her in for a hug and held her tightly to his chest. Almost instantly, he could feel her body moving as she breathed and he was reminded of something. Something important.

Booth pulled away slightly, just far enough to look into the eyes of the woman he was embracing. "You know, Bones, we'll need to finish building soon...beds aren't only for sleeping."

Brennan grinned, in the sideways way that never failed to make Booth's pants slightly tighter and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Well, Booth. I see no problem considering sex is not only for beds either." She heard a low rumble in the back of his throat. Her lips puckered softly under his ear. She kissed the spot twice, before quietly speaking, "It's for showers." He groaned one more. She kissed again. "And counters." He continued making the delicious noises she loved, so she pressed forward, peppering the side of his jaw and neck with small, teasing pecks, all while listing her favorite places besides the bedroom to make love. "Living room couches, laundry rooms, hot tubs."

Before she could utter another word, Booth took her waist in his hands. His fingers kneaded her curves as he nudged her backwards. His mouth descended onto hers in a firm kiss, and she gasped softly when her shoulders met the hard wall.

"What about walls?" He asked in a gruff, curious voice.

Her eyes closed at their own will when his nose nuzzled against her own. "There are walls everywhere," she replied in a special soft tone of voice only Booth could extract from her lips. "That's hardly inventive."

Booth smirked as she teased. "They aren't our walls. _This_ is _our_ wall." He inched his feet closer to hers to eliminate the space between them. "_Our_ bedroom wall. And if we can't christen our bedroom in a bed then we'll just have to do it somewhere else."

The contrast between Booth's warmth and the uninviting drywall behind her was starting to make her head spin. His words were forcing the raw side of her that constantly craved him to quickly rise to the surface, but on the other hand she knew that they couldn't get too carried away.

"You make a good point but-"

He cut her off with another kiss. Her hands glided up his torso and rested on his shoulders. Feel the hard muscles under his shirt reminded Brennan that they hadn't had _alone_ time in several days, and then his tongue parted her lips, and his hips rocked against hers, and suddenly she was _aching_ for him.

She angled her mouth over his to deepen their kiss. An involuntary moan sounded in her throat when his hands wandered upward and stroked the sensitive skin of her stomach. He didn't take his lips off of hers longer than a second. He was hardly allowing her to breathe let alone think. His fingertips brushed the edge of her bra, and she finally gathered the strength to tilt her head to the side.

"_Booth_," she panted. Her movement didn't deter his eager mouth. He simply focused his efforts on her neck, nibbling and sucking the skin gently. "We can't do this now."

The growl that vibrated off his lips ignited a shiver down her spine. He removed his mouth from her body and spoke a single word in her ear. "Later."

"Later," she echoed staring into his eyes, the normal brown so lust ridden it was almost black.

They exchanged a few more innocent pecks sealing their promise before Angela's voice floated into the room.

"Is it safe?"

The two adults chuckled. "How did she know?" Booth asked as he stepped away from her.

"Angela has a sense for it," Brennan answered while steadying her breathing.

Just then, Parker and the woman in question entered the room. Angela must have overheard them because she smiled and vaguely spoke, "Couple in love. New house. New bedroom. Alone time. That only adds up to one thing, Boothy."

"What thing?" Parked inquired.

Booth cleared his throat a little and kneeled down to his son's height. "To us finally being able to put this bed together."

Parker nodded and picked up his screwdriver. He was determined to get this done.

Angela stepped over to her best friend's side and smiled at the site of the two Booth men getting back to work on the bed. "He's so excited about the house," she observed. "He tried to give me another tour when we were downstairs."

Brennan didn't take her eyes off her son. He peeked up at her and smiled. "He's been lobbying for it for a while."

_ONE MONTH EARLIER_

_The bell above the door chimed as Brennan and Parker entered Party City. It was her second visit to the establishment that she realized was a popular place for parents with small children. When they stepped into the store, they were greeted by a myriad of Halloween decorations. Brennan rolled her eyes at some of them. The store management obviously had no knowledge about the origin of All Hallows Eve and its related traditions. Parker on the other hand was enthralled. He dropped her hand immediately and ran towards a grotesque zombie statue._

"_This is awesome!" He admired as he stared up at the beast with wide eyes. "Can we get one for our new house?"_

_Brennan scowled at the creature. "I don't think that would be appropriate." Although she had always been a fan of the holiday that allowed her to dress like Wonder Woman, she didn't appreciate the part of Halloween that glorified psychotic murders and fake monsters. Now that she was a mother, she disliked the scare tactics even more. "We should pick out your costume."_

_She grasped his hand again, still weary about him getting too far away from her in public, and led him towards the back of the store. There were numerous people squeezed into the small area. Children were yelling at their parents. Teenagers were laughing and joking about costumes. Employees clad in orange vests were darting back and forth, speaking into black headsets and passing out costumes as fast as possible._

"_There's too many people," Parker complained. "I can't see anything."_

_She remedied the situation by scooping him into her arms. He wrapped himself around her body and started scanning the various children's costumes displayed along the wall. He laughed and pointed to a killer clown outfit. "That one would scare daddy."_

_Brennan smirked imagining Booth's girlish yelp whenever a clown is in his vicinity. "You're correct. He has an extreme case of coulrophobia."_

"_Color what?"_

"_Coulrophobia. It means fear of clowns," she explained._

"_Oh," he spoke before turning his attention back to his costume choices. "What about the Green Lantern? Or Captain America! Ooh, or Thor! That's a cool one, Mommy. I get a helmet and a cape!"_

"_I assume all of those personas are super heroes."_

"_Yup! They beat up all the bad guys."_

_Brennan made a face at they hyper masculine ensembles. "Parker, you can dress like someone who defeats bad people without wearing large, fake muscles. Those men look like they abuse steroids."_

"_Daddy says that guys who use those are too wimpy to do real work and that it makes your junk small," he giggled remembering the conversation he shared with his father during a past baseball game. "What's junk?"_

"_It's a slang term for the penis," she answered. Parker chuckled again as she pointed to another series of boy's costumes. "What about one of those? You can be a fireman or an astronaut."_

"_But those aren't fun costumes. Those are just jobs."_

"_They're respectable jobs that offer numerous benefits and large salaries."_

"_Mommy," Parker whined. "It's Halloween. It's supposed to be fun, not real."_

_She shifted him a little in her arms. He was getting so big so fast. "Okay. I concede to your point. Which costume would you like to try on?"_

_He beamed and pointed to another superhero._

_Twenty minutes later, Parker was staring at himself in a dressing room mirror. He adjusted the mask over his eyes and started punching and kicking the air in defensive superhero moves. Brennan smiled at him. "Do you like this one?"_

_He suddenly made a face and started tugging on the back of the outfit. "It gives me a wedgie."_

_She suppressed her laugh. "Well then let's find another one."_

_After another half an hour of shopping, Brennan and Parker finally stepped up to the register with – in Parker's words – totally awesome wizard costume along with a couple of magical accessories and a plastic pumpkin for trick-or-treating. Brennan handed their items to the cashier and scanned her credit card. "So what are you gunna be mommy?"_

"_I dress as Wonder Woman every year."_

_The teenage boy ringing up their purchase groaned quietly at her words. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he went back to filling up the plastic bag._

"_Is that why daddy likes her so much?"_

_Brennan knew Booth harbored that fantasy. "Yes." Parker nodded and bounced on his feet when the cashier handed him the bag with his costume. His excitement made her grin. "I anticipate Halloween being very fun this year," she commented as they strolled out of the store._

"_Yeah, but it'll be better next year."_

_Her brows dipped together. "Why is that?"_

"_We'll be in our new house with a whole new neighborhood. Trick-or-treating isn't as fun in apartments, and I bet there will be a bunch more kids. I could make friends, and we could trick-or-treat in a big group, and maybe you and daddy could find other superhero mommies and daddies to be friends with, too."_

_Brennan hadn't experienced a Halloween like that in very long time. She had faint memories of being a child and being escorted around her neighborhood by her parents with Russ. "That sounds very suburban."_

"_Does that mean good?" Parker asked curiously as they approached the car._

_Brennan unlocked the door and smiled encouragingly. "We'll make sure it does."_

_Parker returned her grin and hopped into his seat. "I wanna put on my costume before daddy gets home. Can I wear my pointy hat now?"_

"_As long as it doesn't hinder my rearview vision."_


End file.
